Dearborn Heights police settle Muslim woman's hijab lawsuit

A Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab after being arrested filed a lawsuit against the Dearborn Heights Police Department.

That suit has been settled after the two sides worked out a new departmental policy. And the case was dismissed without punitive damages.

"The attorneys went back to the Imams in the community and got their approval," said Police Chief Lee Gavin."It's a small adjustment from the prior policy. Now if a female is arrested and brought into the station, if she is going to be held here or bonded out, we would take her into the presence of a female into an off-site room."

There are only three female police officers in Dearborn Heights - but there are also protocols if one of them is not available.

"We will get one of our female dispatchers and a last resort, we'll go to another community such as Dearborn who is our bordering city and we would continue the booking procedure.

"As a police department we try to respond to the needs of all of our citizens. We are a changing community with some new issues. We are trying to be proactive to protect everyone's Constitutional and civil rights."

A second lawsuit involving the same issue of a Muslim woman is ongoing in Dearborn.