Judge tells Marine Corps Sikh recruit can hold his hair, beard and turban by means of boot camp

A federal choose this month ordered the Marine Corps to permit a Sikh recruit to maintain his lengthy hair, beard and “articles of faith” whereas he’s in boot bamp.

The Marines can’t require the recruit, Jaskirat Singh, “to shave or otherwise cut the hair on his head or shave or otherwise cut his beard” so as to enter boot camp, District Court Judge Richard J. Leon ordered on April 18, almost one yr after three members of the Sikh religion — together with Jewish and Muslim recruits — sued the Marines over spiritual lodging.

The order, which additionally spells out uniform and grooming necessities for the recruit, applies solely to Mr. Singh. One of the opposite three Sikhs who had sued the Marines over gown code restrictions has enlisted within the Army National Guard and one other has indicated they’ll apply to the Marine Corps Officer Candidates School.

For the remaining Sikh recruit, Judge Leon ordered him to “style his hair in a neat and conservative manner that conforms closely to the head and is tied tightly in a bun at the top of the head” and a white turban when sporting a “dress blue” uniform. He shall be required to “roll, tie, or otherwise groom” his beard in order that it’s “no longer than two inches in length after grooming.”

Similar grooming necessities exist for his service uniform and the Marine Pattern Combat Utility Uniform, or MARPAT, and the service’s bodily coaching uniform. In the latter circumstances, he must put on a smaller turban referred to as a “parna” that may be worn beneath a fight helmet.

An lawyer for the Sikh Coalition, which backed the recruits of their lawsuit, hailed the ruling as a step in the best route for these Siks wishing to serve their nation.

“Ultimately, while we are pleased that the court recognized that there is no valid reason for this kind of discrimination against Sikhs, we continue fighting our case in court not just for Mr. Singh, but for future candidates who should not have to put their lives on hold while waiting for the USMC to grant full and complete accommodations,” senior workers lawyer Giselle Klapper mentioned in a press release.

“We note that this preliminary injunction is not a full-scale policy change by the USMC, but we expect that it will inform how and whether other Sikhs may be accommodated to attend Marine Corps boot camp in the future,” she mentioned.