New York City agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by two Muslim women, who claimed that their rights were infringed upon when they were detained and made to remove their headscarves for a mugshot
Over 3,600 people are eligible for reimbursements under the preliminary financial settlement, which was filed in Manhattan federal court on Friday. However, the accord still needs to be permitted by a district court judge, Fox News reported.
In 2018, Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz filed the lawsuit after they were detained for allegedly breaking fictitious protection orders. They both were taken into custody in Manhattan and Brooklyn, in 2017, respectively.
According to the settlement, each beneficiary will receive between $7,824 and $13,125 after legal fees are deducted. The payout is expected to be approximately $13.1 million, but it might go up if enough of the more than 3,600 qualified class members file their claims.
The settlement, according to Clark and Aziz's attorney Albert Fox Cahn, is a crucial step forward for the religious and privacy rights of New Yorkers.
{{/usCountry}}The settlement, according to Clark and Aziz's attorney Albert Fox Cahn, is a crucial step forward for the religious and privacy rights of New Yorkers.
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: Hijab ban violates religious freedom: US
Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz share their horrific experience
Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz said they felt shame and trauma after being forced to remove the head coverings which are worn by Muslim women in observance of the Islamic religion. Their lawyers even likened taking off the hijabs to being strip-searched.
"When they forced me to take off my hijab, I felt as if I were naked," Clark said in a statement provided by her lawyers. "I'm not sure if words can capture how exposed and violated I felt."
She went on to say that it is a feeling of pride as she played an important role “in getting justice for thousands of New Yorkers.”
According to Cahn, the accord makes it clear that the NYPD cannot breach the First Amendment rights of New Yorkers without incurring consequences.
Also Read: Iran says US trying to violate sovereignty over hijab protests, warns response
What was the response of New York's police department to the lawsuit?
Reacting to the lawsuit in 2020, New York's Police Department allowed both males and females to cover their heads during mugshots as long as their faces were visible.
"This settlement resulted in a positive reform for the NYPD," said police spokesman Nicholas Paolucci. "The agreement carefully balances the department's respect for firmly held religious beliefs with the important law enforcement need to take arrest photos."
The lawsuit comes after three Muslim women were forced to remove their headscarves for mug photographs in 2018, and New York City was ordered to pay them $180,000.