JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville fire district chief is under investigation and has been reassigned to desk duty after allegedly forcing a Muslim firefighter to break his Ramadan fast.
For most Muslims, Ramadan began on the evening of Feb. 28, 2025 and was observed through March.
Sources tell Action News Jax this incident happened at Fire Station 28 on Hogan Road in Southside Estates.
Action News Jax learned that the district chief yelled at this firefighter - who we are not naming.
He asked him why he was not eating with his team, and then threatened to cut his hours and his pay if he didn’t comply.
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Omar Saleh – the Managing Attorney for CAIR-Florida - the ‘Council on Islamic Relations’ - believes the JFRD district fire chief’s alleged actions went too far.
“This is a case of religious coercion. We usually hear about cases of denial of accommodation, for somebody to pray, for example, or to have some time off, for prayer, but never something like this, forcing someone to abandon their religious practice,” said Saleh.
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Hafez Assali, who is the chairman of the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, weighed in.
“It is important to build solidarity, and I support the chief in him maintaining family, and maintaining unity. At the same time, if there’s a member or two that they have their own condition, their own religious values that, you know, at stake here, that need to be communicating between the two. And I believe, you know, they can reach an easy solution,” said Assali.
Here’s what sources told Action News Jax:
In March, a firefighter observing Ramadan was pressured by District Fire Chief Bryon Iveson to break his fast during a station dinner at Station 28.
The district chief allegedly threatened to change the firefighter’s schedule if he didn’t eat.
As a result, the firefighter broke his fast.
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The district chief was later reassigned to desk duties, according to JFRD, but would not confirm why.
JFRD would only say there’s an active investigation.
Imam Bilal Malik, with the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida, said fasting is central to Ramadan.
“Fasting in Ramadan is mandatory, is an obligation upon each and every Muslim, male and female, those who are adult. Unless they are sick, not able to fast, they are traveling, or they are like old, they cannot, or very young, otherwise all Muslims they fast in Ramadan. For 30 days, we observe the fasting from dawn till dusk. No eating, no drinking, and we control our sight, our hearing, our tongue, even our temperament. So fasting is abstaining from all negativities and even eating, drinking, completely avoiding. So it is mandatory,” said Malik.
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While Attorney Saleh couldn’t comment on the specifics, since this is not his case, he maintains the district chief’s alleged actions could be a violation of the law.
“Termination is something we’ve sought in the past for somebody who makes such a serious violation of the law. I mean, this is extremely offensive if you put it in any other religious context or category, preventing anyone - of any faith - to prevent or force them to do something, is unacceptable,” said Saleh.
JFRD told Action News Jax it will provide a statement once the investigation is complete.
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