Sikh Sues U.S. Army Over Religion

A Sikh student at Hofstra University has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army, claiming the service refused to grant him a religious accommodation that would allow him to enlist in his school's ROTC program without shaving his beard, cutting his hair and removing his turban, according to court documents. When Iknoor Singh requested a religious exemption from the military's grooming policies, his request was first denied on the ground that his noncompliance would have "an adverse impact on the Army's readiness, unit cohesion, standards, health, safety, or discipline," documents said. The Army later said Singh could only seek an exemption after he was enlisted as a cadet—creating a catch-22 in which Singh would have to violate his faith to be able to apply for a religious accommodation, the documents said.