The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a lawsuit against the Department of State, claiming it refused to provide religious accommodation to a Muslim employee.
CAIR announced in a press release that it had filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, May 3. They are representing Devin Brooks, who worked as an Armed Uniformed Protection Officer with the Bureau of Diplomatic Security by the State Department. He got the job through an independent security services company called Inter-Con.
Brooks kept a well-maintained beard as a part of his religious belief system. According to Religious News Service, he was assured that he would be able to keep the beard when he was hired in 2021.
However, according to CAIR’s press release, during a mandatory training he was allegedly told he would be sent home if he did not shave his beard. Brooks decided to shave and asked the State Department if he could maintain a beard that was the length of a fist.
The State Department denied Brooks’ request, claiming they had safety concerns, and terminated his employment.
“The Department of State’s so-called safety concerns are not an undue hardship,” CAIR Staff Attorney Zanah Ghalawanji said in a press release. “A fist-length beard doesn’t pose a safety problem, and we look forward to proving that in court.”
According to CAIR, Brooks now works at another federal agency where he has been allowed to keep his beard. The lawsuit claims that the State Department has violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“Nobody should be forced to choose between their faith and their job,” CAIR Staff Attorney Hannah Mullen said in a press release. “The Department of State could have easily accommodated Mr. Brooks. Bureaucracy and a lack of respect for religion are not defenses to Title VII and RFRA.”
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