Prisoner whose beard was forcibly shaved seeks investigation
JACQUES BILLEAUD, Associated Press
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PHOENIX (AP) Lawyers are seeking a federal civil rights investigation of the policies that let Arizona corrections workers forcibly shave off the beard of a prisoner who is Sikh and told the employees that his religion forbids shaving.
Attorneys representing Surjit Singh alleged his religious freedoms were infringed on Aug. 25, 2020 when prison employees restrained him and cut off his beard before taking his photo as he was entering the state’s prison system. A complaint filed Monday with the U.S. Justice Department’s civil rights division said Singh’s faith requires him to wear a beard and that uncut hair is historically a central feature of the Sikh identity.