THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 6, 1994 TAG: 9408060189
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: CHARLESTON, S.C. LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
A federal judge agreed Friday to reconsider letting The Citadel shave Shannon Faulkner's long brown hair when she becomes the military school's first woman cadet in less than two weeks.
U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck, however, refused to keep Faulkner from marching with the corps while the school appeals his ruling that its all-male policy is unconstitutional.
He said the college had not shown it was likely to win on appeal. Faulkner would suffer more harm if she were kept out than The Citadel would suffer if she were allowed in the corps, Houck said.
The school immediately asked the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to block her entrance, Citadel spokesman Rick Mill said.
The U.S. Justice Department, in court papers, said shaving her hair would ``altogether denigrate Ms. Faulkner's identity as a woman.'' Houck set a hearing on the motion for Wednesday, just five days before Faulkner is to enroll.
The shaved cuts are given to first-year cadets, who are known as ``knobs'' because of the haircuts.
Earlier this week, Houck found no legal basis for different grooming standards based on sex and said the college could shave her head. The Justice Department said, however, that courts have recognized differences for male and female police officers and that the federal service academies also apply different rules.
Faulkner, who had no comment Friday, has said she would submit to having her head shaved if necessary.
KEYWORDS: CITADEL APPEAL by CNB