Ohio county denies forcing Muslim inmate to attend service

CLEVELAND (AP) — A northeastern Ohio county is denying allegations by a Muslim woman who said she was forced to participate in a Christian prayer service while being held in the county jail.

Twenty-four-year-old Sakeena Majeed sued Cuyahoga County in December. She alleged that her civil rights were violated when a corrections officer forced her and other jail inmates to attend a Friday afternoon service led by a Baptist minister.

She said she was threatened with solitary confinement if she did not attend and that another correction officer mocked her when she refused to actively participate.

The county is denying the claim, saying that all inmates were treated the same regardless of religious beliefs. The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports that the county filed its answer to the lawsuit Tuesday.