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Despite a 2019 state legislation mandating companies to permit the majority of employees to follow dress or grooming standards for their religion, a New York state trooper who is Sikh was prohibited by his superiors from growing facial hair for his wedding.
For his wedding in March 2022, state trooper Charanjot Tiwana of Jamestown, New York, asked for permission to grow his beard to a length of half an inch (1.27 centimeters).
The state police grooming regulations, which demand troopers to shave and trim their hair short, conflict with the norm of practicing Sikh men wearing beards and long hair as a sign of their commitment to their religion.
According to Tiwana's union, the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, his request was rejected on the grounds that it presented a safety concern over the use of a gas mask.
At a recent news conference, Gurvinder Singh, a sergeant with the New York Police Department and the president of the Sikh Officers Association, stated that "no one should be compromising their religion to serve their country." Hopefully, Sikhs wearing full turbans and beards may someday serve as New York state troopers.
Sikh men are also expected to wear turbans, although Tiwana hasn't publicly requested permission to do so while working, in part because his pleas to develop a beard were denied, according to Charlie Murphy, president of the union.
