(Ventura County Star) Settlement terms have been reached in a federal lawsuit against the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office concerning a Muslim woman whose head scarf was removed while she was in custody, officials announced Monday.
The civil rights lawsuit concerns Newbury Park resident Jennifer Hyatt, whose hijab was removed by deputies in Ventura County jail in January 2017. Hyatt had been arrested in Thousand Oaks in connection with a domestic violence incident and spent about four hours at the facility.
The sheriff’s agency and Hyatt’s legal team have reached terms of a settlement agreement through a mediator, said Capt. Garo Kuredjian. The agreement includes a $75,000 total payment to Hyatt and her attorneys as well as a policy manual update that formalizes accommodations for religious head coverings.
