(Colorado Politics) Reversing a lower court’s ruling on Tuesday, the federal appeals court based in Colorado reinstated the lawsuit of a Muslim man against a state correctional officer for allegedly forcing him to shave his beard — despite a policy that allowed for beards as religious expression.
A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit concluded that if the claims of Tajuddin Ashaheed were true, Sgt. Thomas E. Currington infringed on Ashaheed’s free exercise of his religion and acted contrary to the policy of the Denver Reception and Diagnostic Center.
“When Sergeant Currington ignored the Center’s religious exemption and forced Mr. Ashaheed to shave his beard, he violated clearly established law,” wrote Judge Scott M. Matheson, Jr. in the panel’s Aug. 10 opinion.
