O.W.

We represented a Muslim woman, O.W., whose hijab (head covering) was removed by D.C. police when she was booked after being mistakenly arrested for driving on a suspended license (she has the same name as the real scofflaw). We settled the case before litigation, in return for a payment to our client, expungement of her arrest record, and the Metropolitan Police Department’s issuance of a Special Order on “Religious Headcoverings and Other Articles of Faith,” which instructs police officers about how to avoid requiring removal of religious items when possible and how to be maximally accommodating if removal is required.