Why this Orthodox Woman is Suing New York's DMV

A humiliating violation of religious freedom? Sarah Pelig, a Hasidic woman from the Chabad community in Brooklyn, has filed a lawsuit against the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) after officials allegedly forced her to remove her religious head covering for a driver’s license photo.

The incident, first reported by the New York Post, is being described in the legal filing as a "humiliating and traumatic" ordeal that violated both the plaintiff's deeply held beliefs and New York State law.

The Incident: "Even if it's Religious, it's Forbidden"

The encounter took place at a DMV branch on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Pelig arrived for her scheduled appointment accompanied by her young daughters.

The Demand: When it came time for the photograph, a clerk demanded that Pelig remove her head covering, which consisted of a wig (sheitel) with a hat worn over it.
The Refusal of Accommodation: Despite Pelig explaining that she wears the covering for religious reasons, the clerk reportedly insisted she remove it, claiming, contrary to official policy, that even religious headwear was prohibited in the photo.
Lack of Intervention: A second employee witnessed the exchange but failed to intervene, despite New York law explicitly allowing religious head coverings in official identification photos as long as the face remains clearly visible.

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Fear and Public Humiliation

In the lawsuit, Pelig describes a profound sense of helplessness. At the time, nearly 100 people were in the waiting area. "I felt exposed, as if I were being stripped in public," the lawsuit details.

Pelig noted that she refrained from calling her Rabbi or escalating the argument on the spot out of fear. Given the current climate of rising antisemitism in New York, she worried that a confrontation might be characterized as "a Jewish woman causing a scene," potentially triggering a hostile reaction from the crowd. Under duress, she complied and took the photo with her head uncovered.

The lawsuit emphasizes the gravity of the violation within Orthodox Judaism, explaining to the court that a married woman’s hair is considered private and sacred, intended to be seen only by her husband.

Pelig is seeking:

The case is being closely monitored by human rights and Jewish advocacy groups across the United States as a landmark test for religious freedom and the protection of minority rights within government institutions.