Summary Powell was forced to spend the night in prison without her hijab
(Web Desk) - Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab while in police custody has won an $85,000 settlement from the California city of Long Beach.
Kirsty Powell filed a lawsuit in 2016 alleging that the police forcefully removed her hijab and violated her First Amendment rights.
The settlement was accepted this week and the local municipal authority is to pay the fine. Powell was with her husband at the time when the couple was stopped by police officers in 2015.
Long Beach, California will pay $85,000 to settle the lawsuit that was filed by Powell in 2016. A police officer removed her hijab with force when she was in police custody. “She cried throughout the ordeal and experienced humiliation when both her religious beliefs and personal integrity were violated,” the lawsuit said.
According to CNN, Powell was the passenger, but was arrested after police found a warrant under her name for a shoplifting incident. Powell’s husband requested a female officer handle the arrest, according to the suit, but the arresting officers denied the request and told Powell she had to remove her hijab.
She was forced to spend the night in prison without her hijab. It was given to her husband after he posted her bond. The lawsuit states Powell was “forced to appear in a publicly available booking photo without her religious headwear”, as a result of the foregoing deprivations of the free exercise of her religion, Kirsty Powell suffered severe discomfort, humiliation, and emotional distress.”
Powell was praised by The Council on American-Islamic Relations after announcing the settlement in a press release.
“We commend Kirsty Powell for choosing to defend her right to religious freedom and taking action.”
