The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has apologized after a person who follows the Sikh religion was handcuffed last week for having what investigators said was a knife in the student union.
According to university officials, campus police approached the person and initially put them in handcuffs, which were removed when they took the object from the person.
Officials determined it was a kirpan, an article of faith in Sikhism which does resemble a knife.
UNC Charlotte officials said state law and university policy prohibit the possession of a knife or any edged instruments on campus.
In the message sent to students, signed by Chancellor Sharon Gaber and Chief Diversity Officer Brandon Wolfe, said they would work to identify reasonable measures that both protect the safety of the campus and the religious practices of students.
The chancellor of UNCC added there will be steps taken to ensure this situation does not happen again.
Read the full email here: https://view.mc.uncc.edu/?qs=c912edaffe9e26e33945507473ff9d1e8cb7b33a928e2fd42f70a74888c1202a4d4b14472594d8437ed0b17db81dee03e2a9eed83d78508e6a4ca633b1c4faa20f6c3463c8f9530199f48ae2cb92d11a043adf1a34f07b6a
