A judge has ordered federal marshals to monitor the process when Shannon Faulkner enrolls Monday as the first female cadet at The Citadel.
The marshals are to ensure that the South Carolina all-male, taxpayer-supported military college treats Faulkner "fully, fairly and peacefully."
U.S. District Judge C. Weston Houck Wednesday also ruled Faulkner must shave her head, as required of the male cadets.
Houck says there is no evidence Faulkner, who will be housed alone in the campus infirmary, is in danger of being harmed or sexually harassed.
But he wants federal marshals there "until the passage of time draws a clearer picture of the situation."
Citadel spokesman Maj. Rick Mill says the school has no objection to the marshals "as a precautionary measure."
Houck denied Faulkner's request that her hair be bobbed as required of women in the military, not shaved.
Her lawyers and the Justice Department argue the "buzz cut" requirement is punitive.
But Citadel lawyer Dawes Cooke wonders, "What's the next thing Ms. Faulkner will find at The Citadel which is not appropriately feminine?"
Faulkner says she will comply with the rule: "I don't know how ready I am, but my head will be shaved. I'm not planning on backing out."
The Citadel has appealed the ruling admitting Faulkner, who has been the target of intense hostility, including a death threat, since she sued and won admission last year.
