Muslim Student Sues Over Forced Removal of Headscarf At Jail Booking

The ACLU of Southern California has filed suit on behalf of a Muslim Ph.D. student at Claremont Graduate University who was arrested-- but never charged-- when she was discovered to be riding a Los Angeles commuter train without a valid ticket. The AP reports that graduate student Jameelah Medina was forced by the San Bernadino County Sheriff's Department to remove her headscarf for booking at jail. She also says that while being driven to jail, she was intimidated by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy Craig Roberts who called Islam an "evil" religion. Medina's lawyer, Hector Villagra, argues that if the federal prison system can allow female Muslim inmates to wear the headscarf while in custody, there is no reason that the San Bernadino sheriff's office cannot have the same policy.