CAIR Lawsuit Against Orange County Sheriff's Department Over Hijab Removal

Federal Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed

• ⚖️ Two Muslim women, Shun Ai Me and Mister Dean, are suing the Orange County Sheriff's Department, Sheriff Don Barnes, and individual deputies.
• ✊ The lawsuit alleges that their religious rights were violated when they were forced to remove their hijabs after being arrested at a protest at UC Irvine last year.
• 🕌 One woman stated her hijab is a sign of her identity and protection, and she was shocked to be asked to remove it for a booking photo against her will.

Allegations of Religious Freedom Violation

• 📜 The plaintiffs argue that their freedom of religion, a core tenet of the country, must be protected not just in theory but in practice, even in detention facilities.
• 🚫 They claim they were forced to remove their hijabs and have their photos taken without them, exposing them against their will.

Sheriff's Department Response

• 🗣️ The Orange County Sheriff's Department issued a statement calling the allegations "misleading and inaccurate."
• 🔒 They assert that no women were required to remove their hijabs in front of male employees or the public.
• 👩‍⚖️ The department claims women were asked to privately remove their hijabs only once, inside the jail facility for a booking photo, and this occurred with only female deputies present.