NYC to pay $17.5M to settle suit over forced removal of religious head coverings during mug shots
Associated PressMar 29
The Facts
New York City has agreed to pay $17.5M to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who claimed they were "exposed and violated" when police forced them to remove their hijabs to have their mugshots taken.
Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz sued the city in 2018, alleging that officers of the New York Police Department (NYPD) made them take off their religious head coverings in front of dozens of male cops and inmates.
The Spin
Narrative A
Forcing muslim women to be photographed without their religious head coverings violates their privacy and deeply held spiritual beliefs, and is akin to a strip search. By stripping the women of their hijabs, the NYPD didn't just assault their dignity but also the very values the city claims to stand for. It's time the police department is held accountable for violating New Yorkers' First Amendment rights.
Narrative B
The lawsuit highlights the gulf between criminal justice policy and the religious obligations of suspects in police custody. However, it resulted in a positive reform and will likely restore New Yorkers' trust in the police department. The city remains sensitive toward the Muslim-American community and is committed to ensuring that effective identification of arrestees isn't reliant on the removal of religious head coverings.
