The New York Police Department bars officers from sporting beards except to accommodate medical or religious requests – and even then the beard can be no longer than one millimeter in length.
A frum Yid who was fired from the Police Academy in June 2012 because he refused to trim his beard is set to challenge that rule in a trial that begins next month. To avoid it, the dismissed cadet, Fishel Litzman, told Manhattan Federal Judge Harold Baer Jr., that the facts are undisputed and asked that he rule that the department violated his civil rights. Read more here.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
I love you Fischel but you were told before you joined the academy that this is the rule! I don’t like the rule but that’s the rule! I feel really badly for you but you knew! No?
The fact that he was told prior, does NOT preclude the fact that this could be religious discrimination.
The 1st amendment trumps the rule even if you knew beforehand
Jews deserve distinction in any office in America and this fellow has every right to observe True Mitzvot as a police officer. They should rule this case in his favor and by religious standards he should grow his beard at it grows and not cut it away as the goyim wish him to ensue. If he does win this case, blessings all around. If not, he has probably an option of another program in life or just to comply with arrogance from the police department. I can think of few occupations besides perhaps an infectious disease expert where the presence of a beard can not be accomidated by the profession. And even an ID guy can wear a beard cover.