Federal district Judge Aubrey Robinson Jr. has ruled that the U.S. Air Force has no right to bar an officer from wearing a yarmulka while on duty. He issued a preliminary injunction last Friday enjoining the commander of the March Air Force Base hospital near Riverside, Calif. from taking disciplinary action against Capt. Simcha Goldman, an ordained Orthodox rabbi who serves as a clinical psychologist at the base.
Earlier this month Robinson had issued a temporary restraining order against the Air Force. A temporary restraining order is valid only for 10 days. A preliminary injunction is based on a reasonable likelihood that the plaintiff has a chance of winning his case and extends the time of restraint against any action by the Air Force until the final outcome of the case.
Robinson’s order allows Goldman to continue wearing his yarmulka pending a full judicial review. The judge said he hoped the case would eventually be decided by the Supreme Court so that the rules are clear to all persons entering the Air Force in the future. (See earlier story in July 8 Daily News Bulletin.)
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