A police officer’s request to wear religious garb with her uniform could not be reasonably accommodated without imposing an undue burden upon the City of Philadelphia, the Third Circuit rules.

The case involves a religious discrimination complaint filed by a police officer who had requested permission to wear a headscarf while in uniform and on duty, per her Muslim beliefs.

Her request was denied per strict police department directives which prescribed the approved police uniforms and equipment, and did not authorize the wearing of religious symbols or garb as part of the uniform.

The employer argued that the uniform policy was essential to “the perception of [the police department’s] impartiality by citizens of all races and religions whom the police are charged to serve and protect,” the Court observes. If not for the strict enforcement of the uniform policy, “the essential values of impartiality, religious neutrality, uniformity, and the subordination of personal preference would be severely damaged to the detriment of the proper functioning of the police department.” Furthermore, the Court says, although the complaining officer and another female officer alleged that “other” police officers wore religious items such as cross pins, “neither officer presented any evidence of ‘who’ or ‘when,’ nor did either know whether the police department authorized or was even aware of the alleged occurrences,” the Court rules, affirming the lower court judgment in favor of the employer. Webb v. City of Philadelphia