New York City Settles $17.5 Million Class-Action Lawsuit For Wrongfully Removing Religious Head Coverings During Arrests

The city of New York has finally settled a $17.5 million lawsuit filed by two Muslim-American women, Jamilla Clark and Arwa Aziz, who claimed they were harassed by police. The women said that after they were arrested, the officers allegedly forced them to take off their hijabs to be photographed.

The women’s initial filing was settled on April 5 in the Manhattan federal court. It was approved by District Judge Analisa Torres, under the guidance of a class-action settlement that set the precedent for the women to sue involving procedure on “men and women required to remove religious attire before being photographed.” 

The estimated total payouts for the settlement are set to be just over $13 million, not including the legal fees for the filing parties. According to the Associated Press, the payout pool could increase if more of the nearly 4,000 eligible class members submit individual claims. The amount that each class-action claim recipient could expect to be paid is anywhere between $7,824 and $13,125.

Aziz and Clark, who filed the initial lawsuit in 2018, recalled that they felt shamed and violated when officers made them remove their religious head coverings to take their mugshots after being arrested for allegedly violating orders of protection. 

Both Aziz and Clark claimed that the detainment was wrongful. 

“When they forced me to take off my hijab, I felt as if I were naked,” Clark said in a statement. “I’m not sure if words can capture how exposed and violated I felt.”

The traction that was gained by the filing has spurred reform for New York City Police Department procedures in the future. As of 2020, both men and women are now allowed to wear hijabs and head coverings while taking mugshot photos so long as their faces are not obstructed.

Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for the city’s law department, told outlets, “This settlement resulted in a positive reform for the NYPD. The agreement carefully balances the department’s respect for firmly held religious beliefs with the important law enforcement need to take arrest photos.”

Anyone who was forced to take off their head coverings during an arrest or detainment from March 16, 2014, and Aug. 23, 2021, is eligible to be considered for the settlement.

RELATED CONTENT: Chipotle Sued By EEOC After Employee’s Hijab Allegedly Snatched by Manager

Read more