U.S. government sues Philadelphia schools over beard issues.

On Wednesday the U.S. government sued the Philadelphia's school district for religious discrimination. The school district demanded that a veteran Muslim police officer trim his beard. The school district passed a law in 2010 that mandated that beards on police and security officers be no longer than one-quarter of an inch. Officer Siddiq Abu-Bakr keeps an untrimmed beard longer than one-quarter of an inch in accordance to his Islamic faith. This is not the first time an incident like this has happened. In January the Pentagon decided to ease rules on beards and turbans in the U.S. Army. Abu-Bakr has maintained an untrimmed beard for his 27 years with the district. When Abu-Bakr told his supervisor that he could not cut his beard because of beliefs, he was given a written reprimand. After this Abu-Bakr filed a charge of racial discrimination with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The government's lawsuit is seeking an injunction that would force the district to adopt non-discriminatory grooming policies. 

I believe that Siddiq Abu-Bakr should be allowed to keep his beard, as long as it is not interfering with his work. If he can still do his job accurately and efficiently then I see no reason to cut it. I think the grooming policy is a little too much.

This relates to AP Government and Politics because the lawsuit is debating whether or not Abu-Bakr has the right to wear a beard in accordance with his religion. The right to religious freedoms can be found in the first amendment of our Constitution. 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/06/us-usa-philadelphia-beard-lawsuit-idUSBREA2506720140306