An employee who works for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office has now started a lawsuit against that agency. The man is Jewish, and he says that he was not allowed to observe his religion as he desires and that he was discriminated against by the office.
The lawsuit involves a number of different claims. First of all, the man says he actually got demoted based on the fact that he wanted some concessions made for his faith. He used to work with the Gang Unit, but he says that the office gave him a demotion, making him a technician at the jail.
Additionally, he says that the sheriff’s office would not let him wear his full beard and told him he had to shave it, and they wouldn’t let him properly cover his head, saying he could not wear his yarmulke. Since he is part of the Hasidic Jewish faith, both of these things are crucial parts of the way he is supposed to conduct himself.
Finally, he says that he was subjected to discrimination and harassment in the workplace itself. He claims that someone said he was just a “weird, hairy little Jewish man.” He also said that someone got an Iron Cross flag, which was used in Nazi Germany, and hung it up close to his cubicle as a way of taunting him.
Workplace discrimination comes in many different forms, and this case touches on three different types all at once. If you have been discriminated against in Florida, it’s important to know your rights so that you don’t let it continue uncontested.
Source: News-Press.com, “Jewish worker’s suit in Collier alleges religious bias,” Steve Doane, April. 28, 2015
