Authorities in Long Beach, New York, United States of America has agreed to pay $85,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused its police officers of stripping a Muslim woman, Kirsty Powell, of her hijab during an arrest and making her spend a night in jail without it.
The federal lawsuit stated that male police officers forcibly removed the Long Beach resident, Powell’s head covering when they took her into custody in 2015, even after she explained she wore it as part of her religious beliefs.
Court documents said that the officers made Powell take a booking photo without the covering and did not return it until she was bailed out of jail the next day.
According to the lawsuit, “She cried throughout the ordeal and experienced humiliation when both her religious beliefs and personal integrity were violated.
“She felt that the male officers and male inmates had seen parts of her body that they should not have seen, according to her religious beliefs.”
The Long Beach City Council voted during the week to pay the settlement, which covers damages to Powell and her attorney’s fees.
According to DailyMail UK, officers who arrested Powell were following the Long Beach Police Department’s policy, but that policy itself was in the wrong, according to Machit.
Assistant City Attorney, Monte Machit said, “The city decided to settle because we viewed the claims by her as meritorious.” - Daily Post
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