Calif. Prison Guard Claims He Was Harassed Because Of His Race, Religion

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California prison guard has filed a lawsuit alleging co-workers harassed him because of his race and religion.

Elsiddig Elhindi filed the federal lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) on Dec. 31.

Elhindi is a native of Sudan and a practicing Muslim. He is represented by lawyers with the Council on American-Islam Relations.

The U.S. Department of Justice declined to pursue Elhindi's case even though the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission determined in February that CDCR may have violated the guard's civil rights.

The 56-year-old has been a correctional officer at California State Prison-Sacramento for 12 years. CDCR and Elhindi previously settled a similar case the guard filed with the EEOC in 2007. Terms of the settlement are confidential.

A CDCR spokesman declined comment Monday.