DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Policy change means victory for attorney Amir Makled and his client Makal Kazan, who filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Dearborn Heights and its police department after she was arrested and forced to take off her hijab in front of male officers.
"I'm proud of her for standing up and doing what she thought was in the best interest of herself and other females who may come along after her," said Makled. "It's something that would be very taboo for her to remove it in front of a man. It's something they're not used to at all and it would be extremely embarrassing, humiliating."
Police Chief Gavin Lee said no female workers were working the night of Kazan's arrest. Without going to court, all sides were able to come up with a compromise.
"Under the new procedure we will take you into a special room in the presence of a female and you'll take the hijab off. We will search the head area and hijab to make sure there is no contraband that would be detrimental to the other people in jail," said Lee.
Once the search is complete, a Muslim woman no longer will be required to remove her hijab during the booking process. If a female officer is not on-duty for the pat-down, a female dispatcher or a woman from another agency will be called in. However, if the Muslim woman has to be sent to jail, alternative head covering will be provided.
"It's paper. It will tear. It protects their rights, but if there is a suicide attempt or any issues like that, it will tear," said Lee.
Kazan was arrested a second time for missing a court date. She was allowed to leave the hijab on that time. Moving forward, that will be the case for all Muslim women at the Dearborn Heights Police Department.
"You can't strip your religious constitutional beliefs at the jailhouse door because there is a balancing of both interests -- your religious beliefs and then the safety of the public," said Makled.