Former Cal Fire firefighter sues agency over alleged religious discrimination on facial‑hair policy
A former California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection firefighter filed a discrimination complaint on Aug. 19, 2026, alleging that the agency retaliated after he requested a religious accommodation for his facial‑hair grooming.
Kynan Barrias, a Rohnert Park resident who served with the Sonoma‑Lake‑Napa unit from 2021 through 2024, says his Orthodox Christian faith requires a specific beard style that conflicted with Cal Fire’s grooming standards. He first asked for an exemption on April 19, 2024, but the agency cited safety and respiratory‑protection concerns and denied the request on May 15, 2024.
Barrias contends that Cal Fire failed to evaluate his request on an individualized basis, noting that he successfully completed a self‑contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) fit test in April 2024 while his facial hair was intact. The agency’s policy, which follows standards set by the National Fire Protection Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, prohibits facial hair that could interfere with the seal of SCBA masks; mustaches may not extend below the upper lip or more than a half‑inch beyond the mouth corner.
Five days after his initial request, Barrias received a written warning for allegedly violating grooming standards. A second warning followed five days later, after he submitted a formal accommodation request. He says subsequent disciplinary actions, including a reprimand and an accusation of “tearing apart the crew,” were applied more aggressively than to other firefighters with similar facial hair.
Barrias was terminated on Oct. 10, 2024, with Cal Fire citing “safety, readiness, performance, interpersonal, insubordination and operational misconduct.” He alleges the agency’s March 2025 bulletin directing personnel to “restrict or escort him” if he appeared on property further demonstrates retaliatory intent. The complaint lists emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation and loss of professional standing as damages.
Transparency California data shows Barrias earned between $71,462 and $98,883 annually as a Firefighter One. He is currently employed as a security guard. A case‑management conference is scheduled for Feb. 9 before Sonoma County Judge Dana Simonds.
When approached for comment, Cal Fire spokesperson Jason Clay said the agency could not comment on pending litigation, and Barrias’s attorney declined to comment.
