TEMPE, AZ — The Department of Justice is investigating Arizona State University police and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office after officers removed hijabs from several women who were arrested at a campus protest earlier this year.
ABC15 obtained a letter sent from the DOJ to the women’s attorney that confirmed the probe will look into potential civil rights violations.
The letter was dated October 2, 2024.
"We are glad that there are checks and balances on local law enforcement agencies that act in a manner that violates the constitutional protections guaranteed to people; even if they are arrested,” attorney Zayed Al-Sayyed said. “We look forward to the Department of Justice's findings regarding ASU Police and Maricopa County Sheriff's Department violations."
In separate statements, both ASU and MCSO spokespersons said they would cooperate with federal investigators but believe their agencies did not violate anyone’s rights.
In April, ABC15 first exposed cell phone video that showed officers removing a woman’s hijab as she sat handcuffed. Watch that report in the player below:
The women, who interviewed with ABC15 following their arrests, said they pleaded with officers not to remove the special coverings.
An ASU spokesperson released the following statement, "ASU has been notified of the review by the DOJ. We believe that ASU Police took actions that night consistent with recognized law enforcement practices. The university will cooperate fully with the review.”
MCSO wrote, “MCSO is fully cooperating with the Department of Justice and confident that we have not violated anyone’s civil rights related to this incident.”
Similar incidents of police forcibly removing hijabs have led to major settlements and lawsuits in other places. Earlier this year, New York agreed to pay $17.5 million for forcing women to remove their hijabs.
Contact ABC15 Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing at Dave@ABC15.com.
