NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Sophia Johnston, a Muslim woman who was required to remove her hijab and be photographed without it for a booking photo , has reached a settlement with Rutherford County.
Johnston’s attorney, Daniel Horwitz, said Rutherford County has agreed to pay Johnston $100,000. County officials will also update the county’s booking and jail policies to accommodate religious attire and agreed to delete Johnston’s booking photos and all video footage depicting her without her hijab.
In a news conference on Thursday, Johnston and Horwitz stressed the importance of the updated policy for protecting religious freedoms.
“The jail has the right to search. But that search has to take place outside the presence of the opposite sex and after the search is completed religious head coverings go back on,” Horwitz explained. “As long as they can actually take the booking photo and identify the person that they’re photographing, there’s just no need to strip someone of their religious rights associated with the booking process.”