{"id":27774,"date":"2022-04-19T05:26:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-19T05:26:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/04\/19\/sikh-marine-captain-poolees-file-federal-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T21:09:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T21:09:02","slug":"sikh-marine-captain-poolees-file-federal-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/04\/19\/sikh-marine-captain-poolees-file-federal-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"Sikh Marine captain, poolees file federal lawsuit alleging discrimination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A Marine captain and three Marine delayed entry program poolees of the Sikh faith have filed a federal lawsuit challenging the Corps\u2019 decision to not allow the wearing of a traditional turban and beard in either combat zones or recruit training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Capt. Sukhbir Singh Toor along with Jaskirat Singh, Aekash Singh and Milaap Singh Chahal filed the lawsuit through their attorneys, with assistance from the Sikh Coalition on Monday in the Washington, D.C., federal district court. \u201cSingh,\u201d meaning lion, in the Sikh faith is adopted by men much like a baptismal name in Christianity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past year, the Marine Corps <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2021\/10\/05\/a-sikh-marine-is-now-allowed-to-wear-a-turban-in-uniform\/\" target=\"_blank\">modified some of its previous practices<\/a> to allow for Toor and others to keep a beard, turban and articles of faith intrinsic to Sikh religious identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the lawsuit, reported on by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/04\/11\/us\/sikh-marine-lawsuit-beard-turban.html\" target=\"_blank\">The New York Times<\/a> and other media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.military.com\/daily-news\/2022\/04\/12\/sikhs-sue-marine-corps-right-wear-turban-beards-all-times.html\" target=\"_blank\">outlets<\/a>, states that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2020\/09\/18\/pentagon-unveils-new-religious-liberty-policies-after-pressure-from-conservative-lawmakers\/\" target=\"_blank\">remaining restrictions <\/a>on which the Corps hasn\u2019t yet budged violate Toor and his fellow plaintiffs\u2019 civil rights, primarily First Amendment rights to exercise free speech through the practice of religion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to do this, none of us, including our clients, (a lawsuit) is never a goal, it\u2019s absolutely a last resort,\u201d Giselle Klapper, senior staff attorney with the Sikh Coalition, told Marine Corps Times on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2021\/11\/18\/dual-devotion-a-sikh-marine-can-now-wear-his-turban-but-he-wants-more\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"184\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/101821_SikhCoalition_LtToor-Attorneys_DSCF4097.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Dual devotion: A Sikh Marine can now wear his turban in uniform. But he wants more<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Why 1st Lt. Sukhbir Toor says the Marine Corps&#039; accommodations didn&#039;t go far enough.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve tried for a year now to practically communicate with the Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy,\u201d she said. \u201cWe want to make it work, we\u2019re not here to fight you, we\u2019re here to help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That years\u2019 worth of work refers primarily to Toor\u2019s personal campaign, which he initiated on both his behalf and for current and future Sikh Marines, when he was selected for captain in spring 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Warrior heritage<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toor joined the Corps in 2017 and became an artillery officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Initially, he did shave his beard and did not wear his turban or articles of faith. That, Toor has said, was primarily because he felt he had to give something of himself to the Corps before asking for the accommodation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sikh faith has a strong tradition of warrior heritage that encourages its members to fight for the oppressed. Military service dovetails closely with that tradition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The beard, turban and articles of faith such as the \u201ckanga,\u201d a small wooden comb; a \u201ckirpan\u201d or small knife or ceremonial sword; \u201ckachera\u201d a cotton soldier short or longer underwear; a \u201ckara\u201d which is a small steel bracelet and the practice of not cutting their hair or beard, known as \u201ckesh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following his petition, Lt. Gen. David Ottignon, head of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, authored a letter granting Toor permission to wear the turban and unshorn hair, within limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At first, Toor was restricted from wearing the turban and articles of faith while assigned to units, such as the on in which he served, 3rd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"795\" height=\"648\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1st-Lt.-Toor.jpgedited.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-41986\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1st-Lt.-Toor.jpgedited.jpg.jpg 795w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1st-Lt.-Toor.jpgedited.jpg.jpg?resize=300,245 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1st-Lt.-Toor.jpgedited.jpg.jpg?resize=768,626 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 795px) 100vw, 795px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">1st Lt. Sukhbir Toor, may be the first Marine to wear a turban in uniform as a sign of his Sikh faith, but still may sue the Corps for larger accommodations. (Photo from the Sikh Coalition)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those limits also included a prohibition against wearing those articles while in a dress uniform in a ceremonial position. When later challenged by Toor\u2019s fellow plaintiffs, all three of which were delayed entry program poolees who\u2019d not yet shipped to recruit training, Corps leadership also refused to allow them to attend boot camp without cutting their hair and ditching those articles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The rationale expressed by Marine leadership for the limits on units rapidly deploying to combat zones was one of safety. That included not being able to properly don and clear a gas mask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recruit training restriction had to do with uniformity, a driver of early discipline and unit cohesion instilled in Marines at that entry point to the Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Toor and his fellow plaintiffs have pointed out some inconsistencies, in their view, on the Corps\u2019 logic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marines recently relaxed regulations now allowing full-sleeve tattoos. They\u2019ve accommodated skin conditions that prohibit daily shaving such as pseudofolliculitis, or PFB \u2015 a condition that can cause irritation and painful bumps when skin is shaved regularly. It is prevalent among Black men.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s not to mention the meme-worthy photos dotting the internet of special operations forces personnel, Marine and otherwise, sporting thick, long beards in the midst of active combat zones and duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As of Sept. 23, 2021, Toor and others granted the waiver were allowed to wear their articles, under those limited conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But for the plaintiffs that wasn\u2019t enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Toor and his fellow plaintiffs deferred comment for this article to representatives at the Sikh Coalition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Marine Corps deferred comment on the lawsuit and the larger issue to the Department of Justice, which handles federal lawsuits. The Department of Justice representative reached by Marine Corps Times on Wednesday declined comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Marine Corps Times published <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marinecorpstimes.com\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2021\/11\/18\/dual-devotion-a-sikh-marine-can-now-wear-his-turban-but-he-wants-more\/\" target=\"_blank\">previous coverage<\/a> of this series of events, including a longer profile of Toor in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kamal S. Kalsi, president of the nonprofit Sikh American Veterans Alliance and a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve, told Marine Corps Times that while the separate Sikh groups won victories through a 2016 lawsuit that pushed the Army to adjust its regulations, they knew that with the Marine Corps it, \u201cwould be a difficult conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Kalsi heard similar arguments against his own request to wear his articles of faith before he was granted permission to don them in 2016, the question comes down to a simple metric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIf somebody says, \u2018I\u2019m willing to die for you by defending my country, my unit,\u2019 we should allow them to keep their articles of faith,\u201d Kalsi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The alliance president said that if the Army and Air Force has figured this out and can make it work, just as allied and partner forces such as Canada, the United Kingdom, India and Australia, then he doesn\u2019t see why the Marine Corps can\u2019t make reasonable changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2619\" height=\"1705\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29914\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg 2619w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg?resize=300,195 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg?resize=768,500 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg?resize=1024,667 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg?resize=1536,1000 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/arm-uniform-turban.JPG.jpg?resize=2048,1333 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2619px) 100vw, 2619px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Army Spc. Simran Lamba, center, was granted the honor of carrying a red-white-and-blue unit color flag for Alpha company Third Battalion 34th Infantry Regiment, during his basic training graduation ceremony at Fort Jackson, S.C., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010. Lamba is the first enlisted Soldier to be granted a religious accommodation for his Sikh articles of faith since 1984. Sikhism, a 500-year-old religion founded in India, requires its male followers to wear a turban and beard and keep their hair uncut. Army policies since 1984 had effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting by barring those items. But Lamba was granted a rare exception because he has skills the Army wants&#8211; the Indian languages Hindi and Punjabi. (AP Photo\/Brett Flashnick)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cEither the entire world is wrong or the Marine Corps is wrong,\u201d Kalsi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There also is some measure of history here. Troops were allowed to wear a number of articles of faith, including turbans, until regulation changes emerged in 1981, Klapper said. But it wasn\u2019t until Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the early 1990s that troops even had a basis to file a lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And Kalsi speaks from experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen I deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 we deployed with Marines; they\u2019re awesome, I love Marines,\u201d Kalsi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, he was the chief of the emergency room for the 44th Medical Brigade. They took care of a lot of casualties, many of which were Marines involved in heavy fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nobody being treated in that field hospital cared that he wore a turban and a beard, he said. They just wanted to know that he knew how to do his job and did it well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Past precedents may signal future decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A federal judge ruled in favor of the 2016 lawsuit filed by Army Capt. Simratpal Singh. The Army followed suit and expanded not only the permissions for Sikhs but also for Jewish troops wearing the yarmulke and Muslim troops wearing the hijab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"1200\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/valdovinos.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-57548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/valdovinos.jpg.jpg 900w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/valdovinos.jpg.jpg?resize=225,300 225w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/valdovinos.jpg.jpg?resize=768,1024 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sgt. Cesilia Valdovinos has filed a complaint after her command sergeant major accused her of being out of hair regulations and ordered her to remove her hijab. (Military Religious Freedom Foundation)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The recent lawsuit by Toor and others names Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger, his assistant commandant, the secretary of the Navy and secretary of defense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Klapper noted, the naval services don\u2019t have to wait on a court ruling. The entire lawsuit could end with a decision by any one of the top leaders to end the practice of banning articles of faith being worn in limited conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy is this a problem for the Marine Corps?\u201d Klapper said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>*Editor\u2019s note: This article has been updated with the correct spelling of Giselle Klapper\u2019s name and the correct reference to the lawsuit\u2019s plaintiffs.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The co-defendant urge the Corps to lift restrictions on the practice of their faith while in combat or recruit training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":56180,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":69,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["your-military","news","left-column","home","disaster"],"primary_category":"your-military"},"5":{"categories":["your-army","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters","disaster"],"primary_category":"your-army"}}},"categories":[101,22,23,92,12,25,69],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3396],"class_list":["post-27774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-disaster","category-home","category-left-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-marine-corps"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"7JL2JRDTWFE7XPYBRCMWWVTOZQ","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/04\/19\/sikh-marine-captain-poolees-file-federal-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sikh Marine captain, poolees file federal lawsuit alleging discrimination - Marine Corps Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The co-defendant urge the Corps to lift restrictions on the practice of their faith while in combat or recruit training.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2022\/04\/19\/sikh-marine-captain-poolees-file-federal-lawsuit-alleging-discrimination\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Sikh Marine captain, poolees file federal lawsuit alleging discrimination\" \/>\n<meta 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