Today, Judge Paul G. Gardephe granted preliminary approval of a class action settlement on behalf of officers who wear beards due to sincerely held religious beliefs. Officers are now authorized to request a religious accommodation to wear their beards at the length they believe meets their religious beliefs. The NYPD previously banned all beards, accepting an accommodation for religious or medical reasons up to only 1 millimeter. On June 22, BLH lawyers, including Jonathan C