California Correction Agency’s Beard Policy Blocked by US Judge

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s policy mostly barring corrections officers from wearing beards was temporarily blocked by a federal judge in a religious discrimination case at the request of the US government.

The preliminary injunction will remain in place until the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission finishes investigating bias charges filed by several current and former state corrections officers, the US District Court for the Eastern District of California said in a lawsuit by the Justice Department.

The CDCR failed to show prohibiting its blanket rule against most beards would impose an undue hardship on departmental operations, the court ...