To beard or not to beard, that is the question:

A group of D.C. firefighters in jeopardy of losing their jobs for refusing to shave their beards are suing the department for violating their right to religious liberty.

Just last month a federal judge ordered the department to allow three firefighters who wear long beards for religious reasons to continue working, as long as their masks fit properly, despite a department policy prohibiting facial hair.

Apparently THOSE three are fine, but the fire department didn’t extend such tolerance towards other firefighters in a similarly furry predicament. The ACLU was called:

“Disdaining this court’s action, the fire chief has announced that he will now proceed to discipline and discharge all other members of the department who wear beards, no matter how sincere their religious reasons for doing so,” ACLU attorney Arthur B. Spitzer wrote in the complaint filed last week in Washington’s U.S. District Court.

I’m most intrigued by the last group mentioned in this list:

In this case, two of the plaintiffs are Muslim, two Nazarite, one Jewish and a sixth adheres to a strict Caribbean spiritual heritage that does not permit shaving.

The bug up the Fire Chief’s ass is safety; beards might affect the seal on masks or interfere with “the valve that provides oxygen”. The problem with this position is precedence. The six bearded plaintiffs have worked for DCFD for years, and there’s never been a problem with their facial hair and fire equipment.

“modern safety equipment makes it unnecessary to be clean-shaven in order to be safe.”

Word.

:+:

Related posts here, here and here.