A story my station worked on today.

Police officer suspended over mustache length: link

Sylvania Township Police officer Ron Dicus has been suspended for three days after the township's board of trustees said he did not follow orders to trim his mustache.

Chief Robert W. Metzger ordered Officer Dicus to trim his mustache to an appropriate length in September. The board of trustees said the nine-year township police veteran refused.

"This isn't about the mustache," said Trustee Dee Dee Liedel. "The issue is this officer chose to disobey a direct order."

Attorney Justin Burnard, who represents the police union, said Officer Dicus had had the style of mustache for the past five years. Burnard said his client has never had any problem in the past wearing it.

Chief Metzger ordered the mustache trimmed a day after Officer Dicus was elected representative of the union.

"That, I think, precipitated a lot of what we are dealing with now," Burnard said. "I'm embarrassed as a citizen as the way the township trustees handled this situation. I mean, it's unheard of. It's about a mustache being trimmed here."

Township trustees, though, disagree.

"This is absolutly not a case of retaliation," Liedel said. "As far as I'm aware our department and the township has never formally been notified he became an officer within the union structure."

Tuesday evening the board of trustees voted to punish Officer Dicus with a three-day suspension for insubordination.

"We can't have the safety of our community in jeopardy if one of our officers decides which order he's going to obey and which not he's not going to obey," Liedel said.

Burnard plan to take the mustache trimming order to arbitration.

Cheif Metzger has not decided which days Officer Dicus will be suspended.

this is news?

obviously these folks don't have enough to do

This is right up there with the 89 year old getting arrested for keeping a football that landed in her yard.

EmeraldSkies said:

are you serious!!! that is so dumb

It must've been a slow day.

ZombieKitten said:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27282531/