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A Hasid from Florida named Benjamin Newmark is suing the Collier County Sheriff’s Office in that State over what he calls anti-Semitic abuse. Newmark, who works for the department, claims that he was not allowed to observe basic Jewish laws.
He filed suit in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers last week claiming that the Sheriff’s Office violated regulations imposed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The suit claims that he was not allowed to wear a beard, take off for Shabbat and Jewish holidays or even wear a head covering. Newmark says that the abuse began back in 2009.
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In addition, the suit claims that a Nazi iron cross was placed at his work station and that Newmark was called a “”weird, hairy little Jewish man.”
The Sheriff’s Department responded to the suit saying, “It is not appropriate for us to comment on pending litigation beyond saying that we will defend the case appropriately.”
Newmark is represented in the suit by The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
