Dissidents Sue Directors of Sikh Temple

A group of dissident Sikhs filed a class-action lawsuit Tuesday against the directors of a North Hollywood Sikh temple, asking the court to order that elections be held for directors and that the temple be opened to the dissidents in the meantime.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that the directors of the Sikh Gurdwara of Los Angeles have refused to hold elections for the board of directors.

The lawsuit also alleges that the plaintiffs were deprived of their right to worship when the directors closed the temple Oct. 3 after some were attacked with steel rods and wooden sticks following a religious ceremony at the sanctuary, according to court papers.

About a week later, a group of dissidents took over the temple and occupied it until last week, when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Robert O’Brien ordered them all out at the request of the current board of directors.

The directors filed their own lawsuit Oct. 19, seeking a court declaration establishing that they are the legal authority over the temple. A hearing on a preliminary injunction in connection with that suit is scheduled for Friday.

Kevin O’Connell, an attorney representing the board of directors, said his clients believed that they had good cause to close the temple after the outbreak of violence. The attorney also said that temple bylaws already permit members to hold special elections to vote in a new board.