Teenager takes her case to the High Court
by Jenny
A teenager has taken her claim to the High Court in relation to the right to wear a bangle to school which she says is a symbol of faith.
Sarika Watkins-Singh was excluded from Aberdare Girls’ School in South Wales in November 2007 because she refused to take off the bangle known as the Kara. The school has said that pupils are banned from wearing most jewellery. The hearing will look into whether the school’s decision was justified.
Human rights group Liberty, which is supporting Sarika’s case claims that by refusing to let her wear the Kara Aberdare School has breached race, equality and human rights laws.
The 14 year old is claiming unlawful discrimination. The hearing is set for three days.
Employment practitioners will remember the case of Eweida v British Airways Plc in which an employee brought a claim to the Tribunal after her employers banned her from wearing a small cross with her uniform. The Tribunal actually dismissed the claim and held that BA’s policy did not directly discriminate against Ms Eweida on religious grounds because anyone wearing such a symbol, or indeed jewellery of any kind, would have been treated the same way regardless of their religion. In the end Ms Eweida was allowed to wear a cross as BA reviewed its policy.
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