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He was suspended from work last Friday without pay until he shaves his beard and takes the fit test or the matter is settled by arbitration.

“It’s just really upsetting and stressful right now,” he said.

Mahon, who commutes each day from Sarnia and has been growing his beard since June 2017, is preparing to submit his complaint to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the agency that adjudicates discrimination and harassment claims in the province.

Mahon says he draws personal inspiration from the Old Testament story of Samson. The biblical figure was known for his tremendous physical strength, a feature he credited with never cutting his hair.

Samson lost his strength when his hair was cut while he slept, a betrayal by his lover Delilah. He was captured by his enemies, blinded and chained between two pillars of a Philistine temple, a group in conflict with the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Samson prayed for one final burst of strength, then broke the pillars to which he was bound, collapsing the temple and dying in the process.

The scene is depicted in a tattoo on Mahon’s right calf, one of the many biblical figures and religious symbols on his body. Mahon goes to a Catholic church in Sarnia and has submitted a supporting letter from his priest to plead his case to the hospital.

Mahon travels for and competes in beard competitions – and his social media profile says he’s a brand ambassador for a Canadian beard products company – but he said that’s not the reason he’s fighting to keep his facial hair intact.