By John V. Berry, Esq., www.berrylegal.com
A Baltimore police officer, Anthony Brown, has filed a lawsuit in Brown v. Baltimore Police Dep’t, Civil No. 11-CV-00136 (D. MD Jan. 2011), alleging that he was personally injured and humiliated when supervisors ordered him to shave in front of other officers. The police officer, an 18-year department veteran of the Baltimore Police Department, filed suit against the Department in U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
The officer had suffered from a skin condition which might shaving difficult, if not imopossible and had provided a physician’s note about these medical issues prior to his supervisor's order that he shave. Apparently, the physician’s note was ignored by supervisors and the officer was ordered to shave in front of the other officers, without water or a mirror.
Officer Brown has filed suit against the Baltimore Police Department regarding the forced shaving under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, Title 20 of the Annotated Code of the State of Maryland, and 42 U.S.C. 1981, 42 U.S.C. 1983, and 42 U.S.C. 1985 along with a number of other legal theories. The officer has further contended that his complaints resulted in poor performance evaluations, withdrawal of overtime opportunities and discrimination against him based on his medical condition. A copy of the latest version of the amended complaint in this case can be downloaded here Download Shaving Lawsuit