Sikh Student's Home Vandalized in Hate Crime

June 27, 2006

Source: Sikh Sangat News

http://www.sikhsangat.org/publish/printer_1138.shtml

On June 27, 2006 Sikh Sangat News reported, "A Sikh family found a pornographic graffiti on their driveway Saturday morning. A penis with three testicles that were labeled '3 testi' was drawn with white spray paint. The family stated the third testicle was spray painted to ridicule the top-knot, or patka that their 15-year-old son wears for religious reasons. Police have classified the incident as a hate crime.

A traffic cone was also placed at their front door... Angad [the teenage son] has been the victim of persistent racial abuse at the hands of students of Valencia High School. The wider Sikh community has grown increasingly critical of the failure of the School to tackle abuse that can begin in the classroom and carry on unabated after school. Students had made fun of Angad Chadha because of his religious headdress. The community are aware from experience that this form of prejudice usually occurs in schools that have failed to educate its students adequately on race and religious awareness. Principal Bill Cline... has not yet commented on this issue.

'For us it's more than a prank,' said his father Arinder Chadha. 'It's a prank meant to make fun of the way we look. It hits us psychologically.' They feel this issue has not been taken seriously by the police or [the] school.

No suspects were found. Placentia police have had about four hate crimes this year, Detective Corinne Loomis said.

At least three incidents since last June involved swastikas being drawn on cars and driveways.

Chadha asked Placentia police to arrange a meeting for Chadha to explain to officers the Sikh religion."