The TSA Finally Responds to the Jus Reign Turban Controversy

The debate is still going on over YouTuber Jasmeet Singh aka Jus Reign, who was singled out by the TSA at San Francisco International Airport and forced to remove his turban – but the good news is that the controversy may prevent others from going through a similar situation.

Jus Reign, who is Sikh and wears a turban, was flying from San Francisco to Toronto when he was pulled aside by the TSA.

As he documented on Twitter and Snapchat, he was first asked to go through extra security measures, including a metal detector being passed over his turban. Everything cleared, but he was still required to go into a private room to be screened again, where they asked him to take his turban off.

In the Sikh religion, it’s mandatory for baptized men to wear their turban and it’s not appropriate to remove it in public.

He explained why he wasn’t comfortable removing it, but the TSA said he had to if he wanted to be done in time to catch his flight. So he reluctantly gave in, removed it, passed inspection (of course) and requested a mirror so he could put the turban back on. And that’s when he was told they had no mirrors and he’d have to walk to a bathroom on the other side of the terminal with his head uncovered.

He later elaborated in a lengthy post on Instagram:

I followed all the security protocols, asked whatever they wanted me to do, the issue isn’t JUST with the fact that I was asked to remove the turban (however silly it still is) but with the lack of respect and insensitivity when I asked for a simple request like a mirror to tie it back on again.

also fun fact: no one has ever found anything dangerous in a turban… ever.

The good news is that after all the pressure from Jus Reign’s supporters, it looks like the TSA is trying to set things right.