Opinion ID: 152022
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: The Implementation of the Policy

Text: Moss' letter explaining her religious conversion and requesting permission to continue wearing her khimar reached Nardolillo's desk on October 24, 2005. JA 157. Within hours, Moss was called into Deputy Warden Holm's office to speak with Holm and Nardolillo. JA 157. Nardolillo told her that he was denying her request to wear her khimar and was stopping everyone in the facility from wearing hats and covering their head. JA 159. At this point, Nardolillo presented Moss with the October 24, 2005 memorandum regarding the uniform policy that would later be distributed to all employees. JA 215. The memorandum differed from the official policy that had been adopted in April of 2005, stating that all hats, caps or religious attire will not be permitted to be worn with your uniform or by non-uniformed employees unless specifically authorized by the Warden. JA 215. The memo also clarified that there are no authorized hats, caps or attire, which can be worn inside the jail and there are no exceptions to this policy. JA 215. The lack of a religious exception for hats contrasted with the specific religious exemption to the general grooming standards requirement that [m]ale staff is to be clean-shaven at all times. This exception was created for men who wear beard for Medical or Religious reasons supported by written documentation. JA 207. Moss offered to get her Koran from her car to show Nardolillo and Holm that her religion required her to cover her hair, but they told her that would not be necessary. JA 159. They told her that they would be informing the other Muslim women that they could not wear head coverings either. JA 159. Nardolillo or Holm told Moss that she might be starting a fad or a fashion statement because now others are wearing the same ... headscarf and hat. JA 159. Moss requested a religious exception. Nardolillo then told Moss that no religion will be honored in the jail and that he doesn't care if it's a Jewish person with a turban on his head or rosary beads around their neck. JA 159. When Moss asked why Muslim women visitors to the secured area of the prison were permitted to wear their khimars, but she could not, Nardillo replied, that will be stopped, too. JA 159. Moss then asked why female inmates were permitted to wear khimars. The Warden replied, [d]ue to Title 37, they have the right of freedom of religion. JA 159. Moss, pointing out that she was not incarcerated, asked why she did not have the same right. JA 159. Nardolillo replied, [b]ecause you're not. No religion will be honored. JA 159. Nardolillo continued to explain, this is the battle he's choosing to fight. JA 159. As Moss was leaving, Nardolillo asked her, [i]s it really that important to you? JA 160. She answered, [y]es, my religion is important to me. Isn't your religion important to you? He said he really didn't think it made that big of a difference. JA 160. These statements clearly indicate that Nardolillo was not interested in providing any sort of religious accommodation. The contents of the memorandum were announced at roll call that day. The change in policy became a major topic in the facility. Employees blamed Moss for the policy change, saying that she was responsible for people that's been [sic] wearing hats for ten years not able to wear a hat anymore. JA 161. The next day, Moss arrived at work wearing her underscarf and hat as usual. JA 162. First thing, before Moss had reached the ION SCAN, she was called into Holm's office again. JA 162. At that point, everybody out there still ha[d] on hats, and except for Moss, none of them [we]re being disciplined or called into the office or told to remove their hats ... including supervisors. JA 162. She was told that if she continued to wear her headscarf, she would be suspended without pay. JA 162. Moss stopped covering her head at work and continued to work as a correctional officer. On October 25, 2005, King received a call at home to tell her that she could no longer wear her khimar at work and would need to speak with Nardolillo. JA 131. She called Nardolillo and reported that she had heard that we were no longer allowed to wear our khimars. JA 131. Nardolillo confirmed the news, and said if you show up to work, you will be fired if you have a khimar on your head. JA 131. King responded that she had been hired with [her] khimar on ... [and] was just in [his] office last month with [her] khimar, and there was not an issue with it. JA 131-32. Nardolillo replied that he didn't care, this is what he's saying now. JA 132. King took several weeks of medical leave due to stress. JA 134. When she returned to work, she wore her khimar until she arrived in the parking lot, and then took it off as she entered the building. JA 134. Sharpe-Allen was out on a medical leave during October 2005. JA 52. Her sister, who also worked at the prison at that time, called her to tell her that the she could no longer wear her khimar when she was ready to return to work. JA 52. Her human resources representative confirmed this, and so Sharpe-Allen asked to meet with the warden. JA 54. She met with Nardolillo twice, hoping to get his permission to continue wearing her khimar on the job. JA 62. Wearing her khimar during the meetings, Sharpe-Allen stressed the fact that [she has] been here and ... [is] doing [her] job ... [and has] never given [him] any problem. [Her] khimar hasn't interfered. JA 61. Nardolillo wasn't willing to compromise at all. JA 61. He told her that she wouldn't get in the building as long as she showed up for work wearing her khimar. JA 62. Nardolillo then terminated Sharpe-Allen, asserting that she had effectively abandoned her job by refus[ing] to comply with [his] directive to return to work with the wearing of her Kimar [sic]. JA 216-17.