Nurse dismissed for wearing a cap

Majdouline B., a nurse at the Pitié-Salpétrière hospital in Paris since 2018, was dismissed in November 2025 by the AP-HP, the public hospital system, which accused her of wearing a fabric cap daily in all circumstances, typically used in operating rooms or intensive care units.

Nurse reinstated after legal action

In January, Majdouline B. obtained a temporary suspension of her dismissal through a summary legal procedure, allowing her reinstatement by the administrative court, which deemed the original sanction disproportionate.

Sanction changed to temporary exclusion

The AP-HP then changed the dismissal to an eight-month temporary exclusion. Majdouline B. then filed another summary procedure with the administrative court, which did not rule on the merits but did not annul the sanction.

Court examines the case in detail

In a detailed ruling on Tuesday, the Paris administrative court found that no internal rules of the hospital prohibited wearing a cap for hygiene or safety reasons, as the AP-HP had claimed. The court also noted that the hospital provided no evidence that the cap posed an infectious risk.

Court finds no professional failure

The court ruled that the wearing of the cap could not be considered a failure of the nurse's professional obligations. It acknowledged that the nurse had refused to obey orders to remove the cap, but stated that such disobedience did not justify an eight-month exclusion.

Court deems sanction disproportionate

The court concluded that the eight-month exclusion was disproportionate and annulled it. It emphasized that a surgical cap is not a religious symbol and that linking a person's beliefs to their appearance can lead to prejudice and discrimination.

Union representative comments on the ruling

Blandine Chauvel, a staff representative from the Sud Santé union at Pitié-Salpêtrière, stated that the ruling highlights the dangers of making assumptions about individuals based on their appearance, name, or assumed origin.