By FireRescue1 Staff
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A judge ruled that a religious firefighter must shave his beard in order to remain a member of the fire department.
NBC 5 Chicago reported that a judge ruled against born-again Christian Alexander Smith after he sued the fire department to keep his beard for religious reasons.
Smith’s lawyer said he decided to shave his beard so he could continue to provide for his family.
In Smith’s lawsuit, he argued that as an air mask technician, he never needed to wear a mask, but fire officials said all active members must be eligible and ready to fight fires in the event of an emergency.