🇺🇸 New York City Settles Lawsuit, Agrees to Pay $17.5 Million for Forcing Muslima’s to Remove Hijabs

In a landmark settlement, the city of New York has agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by two Muslim women who were forced to remove their hijabs after being arrested. The settlement, which is subject to approval by US District Judge Analisa Torres, will compensate over 3,600 eligible class members, with each recipient expected to receive between $7,824 and $13,125 after legal fees.

The lawsuit, filed in 2018 by Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, alleged that the women were forced to remove their hijabs for mugshots in violation of their religious beliefs. The incident occurred in 2017 when the women were arrested for allegedly violating orders of protection. Their lawyers argued that forcing them to remove their hijabs was akin to a strip search and left them feeling exposed and violated.

The settlement covers women who were forced to remove their head coverings between March 16, 2014, and August 23, 2021. In response to the lawsuit, the New York Police Department (NYPD) agreed in 2020 to allow men and women to wear head coverings during mugshots as long as their faces remain visible.

Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesperson for the city’s law department, called the settlement a positive reform for the NYPD, stating that it strikes a balance between respecting religious beliefs and the need for law enforcement to take arrest photos. He noted that while police are permitted to temporarily remove head coverings to search for weapons or contraband, it must be done in private and by officers of the same gender.

Albert Fox Cahn, a lawyer for Clark and Aziz, hailed the settlement as a victory for New Yorkers’ First Amendment rights, stating that it sends a powerful message that the NYPD cannot violate these rights without consequences.