SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Suffolk County has agreed to pay $225,000 and implement new police policies after a Muslim woman, Marowa Fahmy, was forced to remove her hijab and was strip-searched in front of a male officer during her arrest.
The federal civil rights lawsuit, filed in 2024, led to a policy change allowing religious head coverings like hijabs, yarmulkes, and turbans to be worn in custody, as long as they do not obstruct identification. Suffolk County Police will also begin officer training on the new policy.
Fahmy said the experience was “deeply traumatic” and hopes the case will prevent others from going through the same treatment.
Civil rights groups, including CAIR-NY, say the case sets a powerful precedent for protecting religious freedom in law enforcement.