California Sikh wins hate crimes case in federal court

Rouble Claire of Sutter County awarded a $25,000 judgment after suing the county for inaction in federal court

In May 2021, Rouble Claire, a Sikh man who has lived in Sutter County, California for decades met with an unpleasant racist encounter. In an unprovoked incident, he was accosted by a woman at South Butte Market, a local grocery store.

The woman shouted at Claire, calling him a “F*cking Hindu” and threatened to “ram” him with her car. She then got in her car and sped towards him, only swerving away at the last moment.

Read: FBI reports over 7,000 hate crimes in America in 2021 (December 15, 2022)

Later that day, Claire encountered more racist behavior when another individual connected to the same woman wrote the word “SAND N*GGER” in chalk on the sidewalk outside Claire’s house and on his driveway, and called him “n*gger” when he went outside.

The Sutter County Sheriff’s Office allegedly failed to properly investigate either incident that day, and officers interfered with evidence of the crimes by attempting to wash away the hateful slurs on Claire’s driveway before taking photographs.

According to Claire, the SCSO then refused to reopen the investigation for many months, until attorneys from the civil rights organization Sikh Coalition got involved.

When the sheriff’s office ultimately did investigate, they recommended charges against the woman involved in the grocery store incident. However, the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office refused to bring those charges.

Read: Sikh activists to rally against hate crimes in New York on June 24 (June 10, 2022)

Dissatisfied by the way the case was being handled, Claire brought a civil suit against the Shutter County Sheriff’s Office in Sacramento federal court.

According to Claire’s lawsuit the officers’ misconduct caused the initial delays and obstruction of evidence in investigating his case, Sutter County itself, and the woman who accosted him at the market.

The court awarded a $25,000 judgment against SCSO and Sutter County pursuant to Claire’s complaint alleging wrongdoing on their part in violation of his rights.

Claire’s attorneys, Szeto-Wong and Tamura-Sato said in a statement, “No one should have to experience hateful words or conduct nor should they go months without an adequate investigation or have their legitimate concerns belittled and ignored when the safety of them and their family is at risk.”

Read: California Sikh who accused deputies of inaction after hate crimes wins in federal court (January 30, 2023)

Talking about the case, Claire said, “This 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.”

“It is the responsibility of our law enforcement officials to take all crimes and threats seriously, and accountability is essential when they do not live up to that standard.”