The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Philadelphia's school district for religious discrimination, Wednesday.
The justice department accused the school district of discriminating against a Muslim employee who refused to comply with the institute's grooming policy introduced in October 2010. The new rules stated that the school police and security officers were required to keep beards not longer than a quarter of an inch.
Siddiq Abu-Bakr, the school police officer, said his religion required him to maintain a beard and he cannot cut it. He has had it since he started working for the school 27 years ago. However, after he did not follow the quarter inch rule introduced recently, he was rebuked for it in a written order from the School District of Philadelphia, America's eighth largest school district. He then filed a complaint on the grounds of religious discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The lawsuit, filed by the justice department, stated that the school district did not consider Abu-Bakr's request and "without evidence that the maintenance of an uncut beard has interfered with his job performance," the Justice Department said in its statement, reports Reuters. The government's lawsuit sought for an order that would force the district to revise their grooming policies and also sought unspecified damages.
According to Spencer H. Lewis Jr, EEOC office's district director, dress code or grooming policy can allow the employees to work without creating problems to their employer. "No employee should be forced to violate his religious beliefs in order to earn a living," said Lewis Jr, reports the Associated Press.
The school district houses 16,827 employees. In January, the Pentagon decided to go easy on the rules related to beards and turbans in the U.S. Army, reports Reuters.
The school district did not issue any comment following the lawsuit.
