A veteran New Jersey firefighter is suing the city he works in, as well as his supervisors, over claims that his religious rights are being violated because he faces a possible unpaid suspension for growing out his facial hair, which he says he's doing for as a way of expressing his faith.
In a federal lawsuit filed last week, Atlantic City firefighter Alexander Smith, who is a born-again Christian, contends that he has been growing a beard since late last year as part of his religious beliefs, NJ.com reports. Beards and other facial hair, however, are prohibited by the department, because of how they can affect the seals on breathing masks during fire calls.
At the beginning of the year, Smith, who has been with the department for more than 15 years, asked if an exception could be made for his three-inch beard that he has been growing for religious reasons, according to NJ.com. Since 2015, Smith has worked as an air mask technician, and in that role, he's not required to fight fires and wear breathing apparatus, the lawsuit states
Smith's request, however, was denied last month, NJ.com reports. Department officials cited safety concerns for Smith and his colleagues as the reasons behind the denial.
Smith must now shave his beard or face a suspension without pay. His lawsuit is asking for an injunction that would stop the department from penalizing him if he keeps the beard, and he's also seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Along with the city, Atlantic City Chief Scott Evans and Deputy Chief Thomas Culleny Jr. also are named in the lawsuit, which argues that they violated Smith's religious freedoms under the First Amendment and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act, according to NJ.com.
