TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A Topeka man charged with killing his mother alleges in a lawsuit that he is being discriminated against in jail because he is a Muslim.
Jason W. Hachmeister is in Shawnee County jail awaiting trial for first-degree murder in the strangulation death of his mother, Sheila Hachmeister. She was found dead in their Topeka home in September 2010.
Hachmeister, a practicing Muslim, is seeking $100 million in the federal lawsuit.
The Topeka Capital-Journal says Hachmeister accuses jail officials of not providing him with food that met the requirements of his Muslim faith. He also says Muslims aren’t allowed to witness to their faith in jail.
Shawnee County counselor Rich Eckert says such lawsuits are common from inmates who are unsatisfied with the food provided in jail.