Damage Claim By Muslim Woman Against Prison Officials Dismissed

A Muslim woman forced to remove her hijab (religious headscarf) while visiting a state prison cannot sue the Wisconsin Department of Corrections or its secretary for damages in federal court, according to a decision handed down last week. The Janesville, Wisconsin Gazette yesterday reported on the case. U.S. District Judge John Shabaz dismissed the suit, holding that under the 11th Amendment the state cannot be held liable for monetary damages sought by private citizens in federal court, and that recent changes in policy rendered part of the claim moot. The state now permits visitors to wear head coverings if they do not conceal their identities. David Lasker, lawyer for plaintiff Cynthia Rhouni, said he would refile the lawsuit in state court seeking up to $200,000 for the emotional damage Rhouni suffered when inmates saw her without her head covered.