Washington

Citadel Rejects Incoming Student's Request to Wear Hijab

"This process reflects an initial relinquishing of self during which cadets learn the value of teamwork to function as a single unit," college president says

One of the country's oldest military schools, the Citadel in South Carolina, has denied an incoming Muslim student's request to wear a hijab.

President Lt. Gen. John Rosa said the college's strict policy on apparel and appearance is "essential" to the institution's goals, NBC News reported.

"This process reflects an initial relinquishing of self during which cadets learn the value of teamwork to function as a single unit," Rosa said.

Rosa said he hoped the woman would still enroll, but a spokesman for her family said that she would not unless there was a change in the policy, The Associated Press reported.

Ibrahim Hooper with the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C., told the AP the woman was crying after receiving the news and was considering legal action. Her name has not been made public.

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