The United States Navy has decided to discharge hospital second-class Jessica Sims for disobeying a direct order. The order in question was for her to cut off her natural hair, which she wears as dreadlocks in a tight bun. Sims has served honorably in the Navy for the past 12 years and at the age of 32 has never had an issue before with her hair. The chief reason the Navy is discharging her is because officials ruled that Sims’ dreadlocks were out of regulation and that the bun was too bulky to be worn with a gas mask.
Sims believes that the regulations are biased against natural hairstyles worn by many African-American women. The Navy’s regulations specifically banned “widely spaced individual hanging dreadlocks” but Sims said that because hers are closely spaced and worn in a bun, they do not violate the rules. Sims is quoted as saying, “I don’t think I should be told that I have to straighten my hair in order to be within what they think the regulations are, and I don’t think I should have to cover it up with a wig.”
Covering her hair with a wig was one of the options Sims faced under the regulation. However, to wear a wig, she would have to shave off her dreadlocks. Other than that, she would have to straighten her natural hair.
The decision to discharge Sims comes a week after the Navy actually decided to relax its hair regulations to allow two strand twists, as well as multiple, hanging braids that are otherwise in regulation for length.
