Inmates at the Woodbourne Correctional Facility in New York have filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Corrections over a lockdown that would prevent them from witnessing next week’s total solar eclipse.
The six plaintiffs, comprising individuals of Muslim, Baptist, Seventh-Day Adventist, Santería, and atheist beliefs, argue that being barred from viewing the rare astronomical event violates their constitutional religious rights.
The complaint states that each inmate has “expressed a sincerely held religious belief that April’s solar eclipse is a religious event that they must witness and reflect on to observe their faiths.” It highlights the specific significance of the eclipse to the inmates’ varying faiths.
One plaintiff, Jeremy Zielinski, an atheist, had initially received permission to view the eclipse as it celebrates “science and reason.” However, his approval was rescinded after the lockdown announcement, despite his belief that observing the event with others is “crucial” to his faith’s principles.
Another inmate, David Haigh of the Seventh-Day Adventist faith, expressed disappointment at potentially missing an opportunity that won’t arise again for two decades.
While the Department of Corrections cited safety concerns as the reason for the lockdown, the inmates contend their religious rights are being infringed upon. The last total solar eclipse visible in the U.S. occurred in 2017, with the next not until 2044.
