The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the resolution of a complaint against Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in New York City after SIUH accommodated the needs for a medical student to keep a beard according to his faith while using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, OCR’s Conscience and Religious Freedom Division (CRFD) received a complaint from representatives of a civil rights organization regarding a medical student who was participating in rotations at the Staten Island University Hospital (SIUH) in New York City. In response to COVID-19, SIUH temporarily suspended medical student rotations at the hospital. As a condition of their return, SIUH required students to fit-test and then wear N95 respirator masks while serving patients and informed the student that he would need to shave his beard. The student does not shave his beard in accordance with the tenets of his religion. In an N95 respirator fit-test prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the complainant passed the test using a beard gown underneath the N95 respirator. Nevertheless, SIUH advised the complainant that he must take another fit test and shave before being allowed to return.
