CAIR-NJ Condemns Somerset County Sheriff’s Office’s Religious Discrimination Against Deputy Candidate Habeeb Syed
(NEWARK, NJ – 8/13/2026) – The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned alleged religious discrimination against a candidate, Habeeb Syed, for the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office.
Habeeb Syed, who interviewed for a vacant Sheriff’s Deputy position earlier this year, requested religious accommodation to keep his beard and pray his five daily prayers at their allotted times. Syed was told by his interviewer, Willian Schievella, the Community Policing and Public Affairs Coordinator at the Sheriff’s office, that he had been selected for the position.
In the following weeks, the Police Academy pressed Syed to get his Imam’s permission to shave his beard and shift his prayer times to after the workday. When Syed formally requested religious accommodation, while assuring that it would not interfere with his training, he was told that the office could no longer move forward with his candidacy – citing budget cuts as their reasoning. Syed’s complaint states that this budget explanation was a pretext for what was actually religious discrimination.
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter said:
“Every worker has the right to employment opportunities and a workplace free from religious discrimination. The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office must immediately acknowledge the alarming trend of blatant bigotry within their office and reverse course.”
She added that CAIR offers a “Law Enforcement Official’s Guide to The Muslim Community” designed to assist law enforcement officials in forming and implementing policies to create a culturally aware environment and cooperative relationship between American Muslims and law enforcement agencies.
BACKGROUNDER:
This incident also comes as part of a troubling trend of anti-Muslim discrimination out of the Somerset County Sheriff’s department.
Late last year, Refika Colucci, a 38-year-old Muslim officer, alleged in court papers that she was sexually harassed and discriminated against throughout her career at the Somerset County Sheriff’s department because of her Muslim heritage. Colucci conveyed that she was groped by a supervising officer, had her light-duty requests ignored while eight months pregnant, and was told by a sergeant she would “never get anywhere because of who she sides with.”
In another instance, a co-officer also allegedly told her that “Muslims should die,” among other bigoted remarks. When internal affairs at the sheriff’s office recommended the termination of her co-officer, Sheriff Darrin J. Russo overruled it. Colucci was subsequently removed from outreach assignments in the Somerset County Muslim community. Despite her complaints to Russo, the hostile culture went unaddressed. Her lawsuit alleged discrimination, retaliation, and violations by Somerset County Sheriff’s department of New Jersey’s Conscientious Employee Protection Act.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: Public Affairs Director Naureen Akhter, nakhter@cair.com, 908-921-1238
