Muslim woman in the United States Awarded $85,000 after her hijab was forcibly removed by Long Beach police officer

A Muslim woman based in Long Beach, California has been paid $85,000 settlement after a police officer forcefully removed her hijab. She won the lawsuit after a police officer forcefully removed her hijab The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on behalf of the woman identified as Kirsty Powell sued the city of Long Beach. According to Arab News, a police officer in Long Beach forcefully removed Powell’s hijab in front of other male officers and inmates. 

The settlement, approved Tuesday, concludes the legal battle undertaken by Kirsty Powell, an African American Muslim.

Her lawsuit, filed in 2016, prompted the Long Beach Police Department to reverse its policy barring inmates from wearing religious head coverings.

“There really is no justification for taking off a person’s religious headgear,” said Powell’s attorney, Marwa Rifahie, who also works for the Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The case started in May 2015 when Powell and her husband were stopped by two officers because he was driving a lowrider vehicle on Long Beach Boulevard, Rifahie said.

Powell was arrested during a traffic stop on outstanding warrants. While she was in custody, a police officer forcefully removed her hijab. The Muslim woman who wears her hijab for religious reasons was forced to stay the night in jail feeling exposed. She described the experience as deeply traumatizing.

latimes.com