The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC), a government agency that enforces federal employment discrimination laws, including religion, race, color, sex and other protected categories, filed a lawsuit against electronics company Sanmina/SCI Corporation, on grounds it refused to rehire a Sikh employee who had worn a kirpan to work last year.

The case was filed by the Phoenix District Office of the EEOC on behalf of Surinder Kaur Chiera, according to a Oct. 22 release by the Sikh Mediawatch and Research Task Force.

According to the EEOC complaint, Chiera was told she would no longer be permitted to wear her kirpan at work because it violated the company’s policy of bringing a “weapon” to the workplace.

Chiera, a six-year Sanmina employee, was subsequently laid off, in part, because she had been warned about the kirpan.