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NEW YORK, USA, March 16, 2005: Despite 15-year-old Amandeep Singh’s exemplary academic and disciplinary records, he was suspended from his New York state Greenburgh Central School last month when the kirpan he has been wearing to school for 7 years was deemed to be an offensive weapon by his school authorities. The school principal determined at an initial hearing that Amandeep’s kirpan, a small knife that is an element of Sikh religious expression, was a “weapon” and had suspended him after a hearing. The United Sikhs advocacy team led by New York lawyer Gurpatwant Singh, intervened with the assistance of lawyers from the Becket Fund. Yesterday, Amandeep received a letter from School Superintendent Josephine Moffett expunging his record of the suspension and allowing him to wear his kirpan at school. Gurpatwant Singh said, “We recognize that the school has upheld the First Amendment and we admire the stance taken by the school.” Amandeep Singh’s family had sought help from the Sikh community last month and United Sikhs responded on Feb 7 by submitting a written representation to the Principal’s Office on the Sikh Articles of Faith. The Principal’s attention was drawn to Amandeep’s right to practise his religion under the First Amendment and a copy of the Sikh Rehat Maryada, code of conduct, was submitted in support.

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