A former prisoner in the Colorado State Department of Corrections reached a settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit with the state, nearly 10 years after he was ordered to shave his beard at the Denver Reception & Diagnostic Center.
Tajuddin Ashaheed claimed the Department of Corrections violated his First Amendment right to religious freedom in 2016, as Ashaheed, a long-time practicing Muslim, kept a beard for religious practices. His attorney announced Wednesday that they settled for $245,000.
In July, a federal judge determined that whether the corrections officer violated Ashaheed’s constitutional rights would be decided by a jury. Ultimately, the parties decided to settle instead on an amount that includes court fees and the potential outcomes of a trial, said Ashaheed’s attorney David Lane…