Firing of Bearded Hasidic Man From NYPD Academy Ruled Religious Discrimination
A federal judge ruled that a Hasidic police recruit who said he was fired from the New York Police Department because he would not trim his beard was the victim of religious discrimination.
Fishel Litzman could be reinstated in the coming days, according to the New York Daily News. Federal Judge Harold Baer issued his decision on Friday.
Litzman, 39, who filed a federal civil-rights lawsuit in June 2012 against the New York Police Department, the City of New York, and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly to be reinstated to his job, and for damages, was a month away from graduating from the Police Academy when he was dismissed on June 7, 2012.
He reportedly received test scores of 99, 100 and 96 on Police Academy exams, but was cited constantly for failing to maintain his personal appearance. Litzman said it would violate his religious beliefs to trim his beard to the 1 millimeter length allowed by the NYPD.
The judge ordered Litzman’s attorney to file a proposed order in 10 days, Attorney Nathan Lewin said he would file to have Litzman reinstated.
The Law Department of the NYPD told the Daily News: “We respectfully disagree with the court and are considering our options.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
