> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Fight for the right - URL: https://www.smdp.com/fight-for-the-right/ - Published: 2008-08-15T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T20:43:21.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import *Big Blue Bus driver sues to wear his turban while on duty* DOWNTOWN When asking Big Blue Bus driver Adhi Reddy to spell his name, it became clear that it wasn’t just a matter of putting one letter before another. It was about using one name over another. He preferred to use his last name only, something which can be traced back to Reddy’s roots in the island of Fiji, where his grandfather was transported as a slave from southern India to work on sugar plantations. Reddy, 48, a bus driver for the last 19 years in Santa Monica, identifies strongly with his culture and his religion, which is why he prefers to use his last name. It let’s people know what tribe he’s from. It’s also the reason why Reddy filed a lawsuit in August of last year against City Hall and BBB, fighting to change the bus company’s strict dress code so that he could wear his turban while on the job, even if filing the civil rights lawsuit meant exhausting his savings. “It was never about the money,” said Reddy, a fast-talking, friendly man with a bushy beard and thick, u-shaped earrings in both lobes. “This was about my heritage, my beliefs, which make me who I am. It was about self respect. If I cannot be who I am and respect the things I believe in, than I am losing everything. “How am I going to teach my children about their culture If I cannot express it?” In a city known for being tolerant and progressive, it seemed strange that BBB officials would not allow Reddy to wear his turban, a critical part of his religion (Reddy said that when he dies, he will be cremated with his turban on, as is the custom). It was even more odd considering the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act as well as the Civil Rights Act seemed to be on his side. Nevertheless, when Reddy donned his turban for two weeks last year, he received notice from his superiors that he either had to remove it, or find another job. Instead, Reddy, who moved to the United States in the late 80s after spending much of his life on the same sugar plantations his grandfather was forced to work, hired a lawyer and filed suit. “For 19 years I have tried to wear it, but each time I asked, I was denied,” Reddy said. “When I was hired, they told me to take it off and to shave my beard or I couldn’t work. I needed the job to support my family, so I agreed.” When he became a U.S. citizen, Reddy became more familiar with his rights and the law, which emboldened him. The City Council recently decided to settle the case, granting Reddy the religious freedom he was seeking. As part of the settlement, Reddy must wear his turban consistently. In exchange, no monetary damages were awarded. Both sides agreed to pay their own legal fees, with Reddy’s attorney, David Myers, choosing to represent his client free of charge. It was Myers who made the settlement possible after he noticed a driver for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority sporting a turban while behind the wheel. He brought this information to Deputy City Attorney Carol Rohr and an agreement was reached. “We investigated it and that was found to be true, so we said, ‘OK, you can wear your turban.’ Simple as that,” said Rohr, who described the settlement negotiations as friendly. Council members approved the settlement unanimously. For many, it was an easy decision to make. “It was about whether or not wearing his turban was going to affect his job or not,” said Mayor Herb Katz.“He wasn’t harming anybody.” Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom said settling the case was “the right thing to do.” “Whether or not someone should be allowed to wear religious head coverings is something I have strong feelings about,” Bloom said. “Not only because of my own experience in having relatives who wear religious head coverings, but I really think it is important for people to be able to express their religious traditions. “Unless there is some way in which wearing a head covering makes it dangerous or is inappropriate, I don’t think it’s reasonable to have a restriction.” Neither does the MTA, which allows drivers to wear religious attire, including turbans, yarmulkes, and other religious headgear. BBB is currently looking at the MTA’s dress code and is looking to incorporate aspects of it into its rules, said Dan Dawson, marketing and public information coordinator for the BBB. Currently drivers are allowed to wear only clothing approved by BBB, which includes pants, shorts, shirts, sweaters and berets issued by the bus company. Thanks to Reddy, turbans have been added to that list. “I’m much happier now,” he said as he stood at the corner of Colorado Avenue and Fourth Street on Wednesday, waiting to start his shift. “It feels like a huge weight has been lifted. Hopefully this will make it easier for other people who may be afraid to express their religious beliefs.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 15, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081508.pdf?ref=smdp.com)