Elderly Sikh Man in US Wins Case Against Sheriff’s Office for Inadequately Investigating Hate Crime

A Sikh man in the US has won a federal court case against the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office for inadequately investigating the hate-based threats against him. The US-based advocacy group called Sikh Coalition representing 66-year-old Rouble Claire said the cops that responded to Clair’s 911 tempered with the evidence.

On May 11, 2021, a US-based Sikh man named Rouble Claire was accosted by a random woman in South Butte Market. She started shouting profanities and racial slurs at him including calling him “fu****g Hindu”. She then threatened to ram him, got into her vehicle, and drove toward Claire only swerving away at the last minute, according to an official of Sikh Coalition, an advocacy group that defends Sikh civil rights. Claire tried calling 911 but no one responded.

Later that day, another woman wrote the words “sand n***er” on the road in front of Claire’s house. They also called him “n***er” when he stepped outside his house. Claire then called 911 but officers from the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) failed to properly investigate the incident. The Sikh Coalition also noted that one of the officers took out a water bottle and tried to tamper with the evidence by pouring water on the N-word.

The investigation was left unattended for several months. Then in May of last year, Claire filed a 41-page civil lawsuit against deputies of the Sutter County Sheriff’s Office, Sutter County, and the women accused of racist threats. He then filed a lawsuit seeking monetary damages and now, a US federal court has ruled in favor of Claire. Attorney Gina Szeto-Wong, co-counsel of the civil case, said, “I think this is a very significant win not just for Mr. Claire, but for the community. This is an acknowledgment that something was mishandled, that in fact something did go awry and Mr. Claire did not receive the justice that he deserves.”

Claire also spoke about the settlement and said, “This settlement is a step forward for my own peace of mind, but more importantly, it will hopefully help to ensure that nothing like my experience ever happens to anyone in Sutter County again.”

The Sikh Coalition is requesting the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office to file criminal charges against the perpetrators.

Vineet Washington