(MURFREESBORO) Rutherford County repotedly agreed on a $100,000 settlement with a Muslim woman who was forced to remove her hijab for a booking photo at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center.
In a press confertence, Nashville Constitutional Attorney Daniel Horwitz, explained that it began last August (2023) during a traffic stop in neighboring Wilson County. Deputies pulled-over a vehicle that was allegedly driven by Sophia Johnston. At the jail in Lebanon, deputies agreed on taking two sets of mugshot photos. One would be for public use only and it allowed the Muslim resident to wear her hijab. The other was for internal use only, and would not be released--she removed the hijab for that one.
During that time, officials in Wilson County learned there was an outstanding 6-year old misdemeanor charge in Rutherford County against Johnston for driving on a suspended license. She was released from Wilson County and taken to Murfreesboro where deputies at the Rutherford County Adult Detention Center insisted that she remove the hijab before a mugshot was made.
In the Thursday (1/25/2024) press conference, Attorney Horowitz noted that in addition to Rutherford County agreeing to pay a $100,000 settlement, that it further agreed to changing its booking policies.
In addition, the agreement required that mugshots and videos in question, were deleted, and that Johnston's previous charges were dismissed.
In getting the "mugshot process changed", the attorney explained that there is no need to remove a hijab as long as a booking photo can be made that clearly identifies the individual. Similar changes in the booking process have earlier been made in other places.
At the press conference, Johnston noted that she was happy to help secure freedom of religious rights for everyone regarding legal accomodations on handling head coverings in the booking process.
