New York Police Department to Pay $17.5m in Hijab Case

Published: 06 April 2024 at 03:14

Law

The New York police department has agreed to pay $17.5m in a class action case led by two Muslim women, Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, who were forced to remove their hijabs during mugshots. The case argued violations of religious freedom and privacy, with over 3,600 eligible for pay-outs. The policy allowing hijabs was changed four years ago. The compensation deal is pending court approval. Ms. Clark expressed feeling exposed and violated when her hijab was removed. The settlement aims to address privacy and religious freedom rights, with payments of $7,000 to $13,000 expected for individuals arrested between 2014 and 2021.

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US Inmates Sue for Rights to View Solar Eclipse

Six US prisoners have sued authorities in New York to be allowed to witness the total solar eclipse on April 8, citing violations of their religious freedom. The inmates argue that the eclipse holds significance in various religions and should be observed with gathering, celebration, worship, and prayer. The New York Department of Corrections plans a penitentiary lockdown during the eclipse, affecting facilities in the eclipse's path of totality. The inmates, representing different faiths, claim the eclipse as a religious event and have filed a lawsuit for their right to view it.