Hebrew v. Texas Department of Criminal Justice, No. 25-20007 (5th Cir. 2025)
Title VII religious-accommodation appeal arising from TDCJ’s grooming policy. Hebrew, a devout follower of the Hebrew Nation who has maintained a Nazarite vow for decades, was told to shave/cut hair or leave the academy. After termination and suit, the district court granted TDCJ summary judgment. The Fifth Circuit reversed, applying Groff’s heightened undue-hardship standard and concluding TDCJ had not met its burden to prove that allowing long hair/beard would impose substantial increased costs or safety burdens. The case was remanded for further proceedings consistent with Groff.