State Trooper Charanjot Tiwana, based in Jamestown, New York, requested permission to grow his beard to the length of one-half inch in March of 2022 for his wedding.
Wearing a turban is also customary for Sikh men, but Tiwana has not formally asked for permission to don one on duty, in part because his requests to grow a beard were rejected, said the union’s president, Charlie Murphy. He likened the denial to “persecution.” “We value diversity, equity and inclusion among our ranks. As with every request for a religious or medical accommodation for any NYSP employee, we engage in the reasonable accommodation process,” said department spokesperson Deanna Cohen.
The New York State Police have struggled immensely with diversifying its workforce. In 2021, of more than 4,700 troopers, only 4% were Black and 6% Hispanic - compared to the 16% and 19% of the state population those groups constitute, the Associated Press reported. In 2022, a federal court ruled U.S. Marine recruits who are Sikh can keep their beards when they train at bootcamps.A state law passed in 2019 requiring all New York employers - including state agencies - to accommodate workers with religious requirements for attire or facial hair, as long as those requirements didn’t interfere with crucial job duties. When passed, the law pushed employers to review and update their policies for grooming and dress code.