NEW YORK — New York City will pay a total of $180,000 to three Muslim women who were forced to take off their hijabs for mug shots, according to the Daily News.
The Daily Mail reports that the cases stem back as far as 2012, when a Brooklyn high school girl identified as “G.E.” was taken into custody following a scuffle with two girls.
The Daily Mail said G.E. thought the two girls were spreading rumors about her. Despite the case being dismissed, what caused an issue was the initial mug shots.
G.E. was taken into custody where police told her she’d have to take off her hijab.
The Daily Mail said G.E. refused to take off her hijab, where she was then taken to a private room where a female officer shot the photo outside the presence of any men.
The lawsuit states she felt exposed, violated and distraught after being forced to take off her headscarf for about 20 minutes as male police and prisoners watched.
All three settled for $60,000 apiece, according to the Daily News.