The Military College of South Carolina, better known as the Citadel, told a Muslim student that she will not be allowed to wear a headscarf, or hijab, if she attends in the fall.
Citadel President John Rosa issued a statement on Wednesday citing uniformity and cohesion as the main reasons for denying the request. He wrote that:
Uniformity is the cornerstone of this four-year leader development model. The standardization of cadets in apparel, overall appearance, actions and privileges is essential to the learning goals and objectives of the college. This process reflects an initial relinquishing of self during which cadets learn the value of teamwork to function as a single unit.
Rosa then went to state that he hoped the student would attend for the fall semester, and that other religious accommodations for prayer, religious services, and dietary restrictions would still be made available to her.
The college is walking a very thin line here. The Citadel, while undoubtedly an institution geared towards military service, is a public institution that is not directly affiliated with any of the service branches. It took a lawsuit to allow women to attend, and that only happened in 1995.
The girl’s parents and a Muslim advocacy group are considering possible legal actions. They point out that the military branches themselves eased uniform restrictions in 2014, allowing accommodations for sincerely held religious beliefs unless it affects military readiness. Last month, a Sikh officer won a lawsuit that allowed him to wear his beard and turban, both of which are integral parts of his religion.
This situation presents a dilemma. Because the Citadel is not directly connected to the military, they don’t have to abide by exactly the same rules. But as a public institution, there are First Amendment freedom of religion issues that the advocacy group will bring up if they decide to file a lawsuit.
There are no easy answers here. Both sides can cite both legal precedent in favor of their positions, and if the student does decide to pursue legal action, it could take years before the issue is resolved.
When you are an institution that did not admit women until 1995, and even then only when you were forced to, this story should cause a few raised eyebrows.
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Feature image via Getty/Richard Ellis
