Six inmates in a Syracuse, New York, prison are suing the state over the corrections department’s decision to lock down prisons on April 8, MyNBC 5 reported.
The plaintiffs argued that lockdown decision infringes on their constitutional right to view a total solar eclipse, MyNBC 5 noted. All of the inmates reportedly argued that the total solar eclipse was religiously significant for them, and claimed the event warranted “gathering, celebration, worship and prayer.”
NY inmates sue to watch eclipse | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/yzhX7UIXa5
— MyNBC5 (@MyNBC5) April 2, 2024
The plaintiffs included a Baptist, a Muslim, a Seventh-Day Adventist and followers of several other religions, the outlet reported. (Court Rules Biden Admin Can’t Force Christian Health Care Workers To Perform Trans Surgeries)
The lawsuit added that one plaintiff received permission to observe the celestial event using special glasses, but had the privilege revoked after the prison announced the lockdown, the outlet noted. Four other plaintiffs noted in the lawsuit that they sought permission but were denied as prisons officials ruled that the eclipse was not a holy day for their religions, the outlet reported.
One plaintiff claimed he never received any reply to his request to view the eclipse, the outlet noted. Thomas Mailey, a corrections department spokesperson, told the outlet that his department takes into account requests for religious accommodations seriously.
The lawsuit noted that many religious faiths attached significance to an eclipse and cited verses from the Quran and Bible of eclipse-like events occurring at ominous times, The Associated Press (AP) reported.