28 April 2016

Muslim woman says judge asked her to leave courtroom when she declined to remove her head covering

A Muslim woman in Jefferson Parish says she was discriminated against in court because of her religion. The judge says the incident was simply court procedure.

The woman, who did not want to be identified on camera, says she went to Jefferson Parish Traffic Court on Tuesday to pay off a ticket she received from an accident.

After she cleared security at the entrance, the woman says she walked into the courtroom for her hearing.

"I saw the bailiff and he was motioning for me to remove it from my head, and I clenched on to my covering and shook my head, and mouthed to him 'No, I can't.'"

The woman says she declined to remove the head covering for religious reasons. She says she was then escorted outside the courtroom, and asked to wait. She says she waited almost an hour until her name was called. [WDSU New Orleans] Read more