Hasidic Jew fired from NYPD over beard length

AFP/Getty Images

(AP) NEW YORK - An Orthodox Jew who was weeks away from becoming a New York City police officer said he has been kicked out of the police academy for refusing to trim his beard.

Former recruit Fishel Litzman of Monsey was fired Friday after multiple confrontations with the department over the length of his whiskers, he told the Daily News.

Litzman is Hasidic and believes that cutting his beard is forbidden by God.

NYPD rules usually require officers to be clean-shaven. The department makes exceptions for beards kept for religious purposes, but even then only allows 1 millimeter worth of growth.

"I don't understand what the problem would be," said Litzman.

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the department's rules are reasonable and Litzman was aware of them when he signed up.

Litzman was first cited in January for his unkempt beard. He was a month away from receiving his shield when he was fired.

"I always wanted to be a police officer," said Litzman, a 38-year-old father of five who speaks Hebrew and Yiddish and was once a paramedic.

His attorney, Nathan Lewin, said the police department knew when Litzman applied that he would not trim his beard.

And now, said Lewin, it's a case of religious discrimination.

Lewin did not immediately respond to telephone and emails messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The department hired its first Hasidic officer in 2006 and the force now has at least two dozen Orthodox Jewish officers.

Like observant Muslim and Sikh officers, Hasidic officers are allowed to keep their beards for religious reasons but must keep them neat and trimmed.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer issued a statement Saturday saying he was "deeply troubled" by the firing.

"While the NYPD can exercise control over the personal appearance of its force in order to ensure that all officers are capable of performing their duties, they are also required to make a reasonable accommodation for religious beliefs," Stringer said.

He urged the police commissioner to reconsider the case.

[andie52]

Since he was aware of the regulations when he signed up he has no right to any retribution it's a ridiculous and frivolous claim

[hbullis]

This would not be a problem if he had joined the NYFD!
After fighting a few fires, problem solved! Well except he would probably be excused from going into a fire for his own safety. Yep, discrimination case from one side or another. Bull$hit. Crybaby probably joined to gain the opportunity to sue the NYPD. Put his a$$ at a desk maybe his beard will get caught in the drawer and have to be removed to save his sorry a$$.

[endrepubs]

So what if someone wants to be a police officer but insists on wearing their burka all the time? The appearance of police officers does matter and religious reasons should take a back seat to the appearance of an officer. Do you really want police officers showing up at your door with long beards? The police have a culture of being well groomed unless they are undercover.

[askagain]

Some posters either skipped too much school or slept through their social studies classes. There was a time when gender, body build, and height rules kept people from becoming police officers. There was also a time when many businesses had rules against hiring blacks, gays, catholics, women, and people of Irish or Italian descent. They were all rules acceptable at one time or another. Just because there are rules doesn't mean that the rules are valid, just, fair, or legal. And for those of you who think the rules should apply to everyone, how would you feel about rules that at one time prevented men from being hired because they wore an earring in their ear, or a women with a ring in her lip, or a person with a tattoo? When my father was a Marine during WWII, he went into a restaurant with several Japanese-American marines who just returned from gathering intelligence information from behind the enemy lines in Japan. They were refused service because the owner didn't like Japanese people. Was that a fair rule?

[askagain]

deoppressoliber1964 - Rosa Pasrks knew the rules when she refused to sit in the back of a bus and helped trigger the civil rights movement. Today, most people recognize the unfairness and unjustness of racial discrimination. The same is true of discrimination against gays. Even the rules in the military have changed over time. Rules that discriminate are unconstitutional whether those rules apply to one's race, ethnic background, sex, or religion. Kind of basic.

[maiingan]

I'd like to know what the rules are in the various cities in Israel, about beard length allowable for police. There certainly are many Orthodox Jews in Israel.

[askagain]

That is immaterial. A Catholic or protestant in America is not held to the same standard as a Catholic or Prostentant living in Europe. Just because non-Muslims can not own land in some Muslim countries, doesn't mean Muslims can't own land in America.

[TJphoto]

Cut your fricking beard, get over it and move on. If not get out of the program. End of story. Don't like it? Try Airborne or Ranger school and if your religious crap flies.

[kaylag04]

Absolutely. As a soldier, marine, or in civilian law-enforcement, facial hair can impede the proper fit of helment chin-straps, supplemental oxygen and chemical protective (gas) masks. I'm surprised they were flexible on the one millimeter standard. The job is the job, no matter how you like to pray.

[askagain]

kaylag04 June - There is validity in your argument to a point. If it can be proven that a beard impedes performance, the rule could stand. On the other hand, many Muslims in the Middle East also believe it is against their religion to trim their beards yet they serve in the military and as police officers.

[DevoKess]

If there are aspects of the job that go against your religious beliefs or practices, then PICK ANOTHER JOB.

People who are religiously opposed to birth control or abortion or pre-marital sex and have problems filling the morning after pill prescriptions, shouldn't be pharmacists.

If there's a dress code that goes against your religious practice (as is the case here), then find a different profession.

[siberian99]

Wouldn't this matter come up before now ? Certainly after the fact ... going through the academy and training ... did he have the beard then too ? Use him undercover or something else ...

[smc021-2009]

The NYPD will be paying this one out for years its time they got their sh-t together and realized they cannot discriminate because of religious beliefs. This guy may get his retirement without working a day. Nice going NYPD a--holes!!

[centralcacoast]

NYPD needs to change their rules. That's crap that you can have a beard for religious reasons, but not because you like beards, think you look better, or are tired of razor burn. Either beards are allowed or not - FOR EVERYONE. NYPD should be able to say 'everyone can have a short, well trimmed beard.' If that doesn't work for you, find another job.