(NY Post) Two Muslim men are suing the State of New York and the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision for discrimination, claiming they were suspended by higher-ups at the Fishkill Correctional Facility for refusing to shave their beards on religious grounds.
Brian Sughrim and David Feliciano say they’ve worn beards without incident while working at the Hudson Valley lock-up for years, yet were suddenly told this month they must shave because their facial hair presents “an undue hardship and burden on facility operations,” according to their Manhattan federal court lawsuit filed Monday.
When they refused to shave, they were suspended on Aug. 10 and Aug. 15 — even though other non-religious officers at the facility have been allowed to keep their facial hair without incident.
