Last year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against Abercrombie & Fitch, which refused to accommodate a job applicant's desire to wear her hijab to work.
However, the SCOTUS has generally ruled in favor of the U.S. military in religious-accommodation cases. The leading case, Goldman v. Weinberger (1986), resulted in a 5-4 decision against the plaintiff's right to wear his yarmulke in lieu of his service cap.
Of course, the Citadel is not quite a branch of the U.S. military. So whether or not Goldman v. Weinberger will control remains to be seen, if the decision of the President/Commanding General goes into federal court and eventually winds its way to the top bench in Washington.
The Citadel is described as one of six "Senior Military Colleges" in the U.S. It is state supported and offers what is basically a ROTC program on steroids. Whether this will be military enough to fit the institution under the Goldman umbrella awaits an answer, if the decision becomes a federal litigation.
North Carolina was sued yesterday by the U.S. Department of Justice over that sister state's new law restricting transgender folks from using bathrooms that don't match the sex on their birth certificates.
It will be interesting to see how the DOJ and the EEOC react to the Citadel decision. Given the EEOC's win in the Abercrombie case, the Citadel might make a good new target to test how far that new precedent extends. And any state containing the word "Carolina" may almost automatically be on the DOJ's sh** list. On the other hand, suing the Citadel does feel a bit like Uncle Sam suing a part of himself.
10 May 2016
Citadel President Statement
An American Muslim student admitted to the Class of 2020 requested a religious accommodation to wear a head cover, called a hijab, with the standard uniform of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. While we hope the student will enroll in the college this fall, the Commandant of Cadets, after considerable review, determined the uniform exception cannot be granted. Captain (Retired) Geno Paluso’s decision was made with my support and the support of The Citadel Board of Visitors.As the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel has relied upon a highly effective educational model requiring all cadets to adopt a common uniform. 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. Upon graduation, The Citadel’s graduates are prepared to enter a life committed to principled leadership in military service and civilian careers.
The Citadel recognizes the importance of a cadet’s spiritual and religious beliefs, providing services for specific needs whenever possible. For example, during the first week of school faith-based organizations on campus and from the community meet with freshmen cadets. Cadet religious officers arrange transportation to churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship for those without cars. Accommodations for prayer and dietary needs are common at the college.
The diversity of religions and cultural backgrounds represented in the Corps enriches the overall cadet experience and better prepares graduates to become principled leaders in all walks of life, underpinned by The Citadel’s core values of honor, duty and respect.
Lt Gen John Rosa, USAF (Ret)
Citadel President
10 May 2016
Citadel President Statement
An American Muslim student admitted to the Class of 2020 requested a religious accommodation to wear a head cover, called a hijab, with the standard uniform of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. While we hope the student will enroll in the college this fall, the Commandant of Cadets, after considerable review, determined the uniform exception cannot be granted. Captain (Retired) Geno Paluso’s decision was made with my support and the support of The Citadel Board of Visitors.As the Military College of South Carolina, The Citadel has relied upon a highly effective educational model requiring all cadets to adopt a common uniform. 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. Upon graduation, The Citadel’s graduates are prepared to enter a life committed to principled leadership in military service and civilian careers.
The Citadel recognizes the importance of a cadet’s spiritual and religious beliefs, providing services for specific needs whenever possible. For example, during the first week of school faith-based organizations on campus and from the community meet with freshmen cadets. Cadet religious officers arrange transportation to churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship for those without cars. Accommodations for prayer and dietary needs are common at the college.
The diversity of religions and cultural backgrounds represented in the Corps enriches the overall cadet experience and better prepares graduates to become principled leaders in all walks of life, underpinned by The Citadel’s core values of honor, duty and respect.
Lt Gen John Rosa, USAF (Ret)
Citadel President
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