Law.com - 3rd Circuit Rejects Muslim Cop's Bid to Wear ReligiousScarf

[Volokh, Eugene]

	Is the rule really against wearing religious attire?  I couldn't
quickly find Police Department Directive 78 -- the relevant rule --
online, but as I understand it, it sets forth a specific uniform, and
all deviations from the uniform are prohibited, whether they are
religious or otherwise.  I doubt, for instance, that the department
would allow the wearing of political buttons, or ethnic symbols, or just
the officer's favorite hat.  Or am I missing something?

	Eugene

> -----Original Message-----
> From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu 
> [mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of David Cruz
> Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 8:24 AM
> To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
> Subject: RE: Law.com - 3rd Circuit Rejects Muslim Cop's Bid 
> to Wear ReligiousScarf
> 
> I don't understand why counsel would not have argued starting 
> with the complaint that a rule against wearing *religious* 
> symbols or attire was not a "neutral law of general 
> applicability" and thus should receive strict scrutiny under 
> the federal Free Exercise Clause.
> 
> David B. Cruz
> Professor of Law
> University of Southern California Gould School of Law
> 699 Exposition Blvd.
> Los Angeles, CA 90089-0071
> U.S.A.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu
> [mailto:religionlaw-bounces at lists.ucla.edu] On Behalf Of Joel Sogol
> Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2009 2:05 AM
> To: Religionlaw
> Subject: Law.com - 3rd Circuit Rejects Muslim Cop's Bid to 
> Wear Religious Scarf
> 
> A Muslim woman who works as a Philadelphia police officer has 
> lost her court battle to wear a religious head scarf on the 
> job now that the 3rd U.S.
> Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that forcing the 
> department to accommodate her would compromise the city's 
> interest in maintaining "religious neutrality" in its police force.
> 
> http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202429736190
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