Muslim inmates claim they were pepper sprayed during a prayer meeting at Colorado prison

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Three Muslim inmates — Donell Blount, Cecil Mason and Terry Phillips — filed a lawsuit on Monday in Denver’s U.S. District Court against three prison guards at the Sterling Correctional Facility over alleged religious discrimination.

The civil lawsuit claims that the guards — Ethan Kellogg, David Scherbart and an officer identified only by the surname Quinlan — used pepper spray on the inmates during their prayer service, the Denver Post reported.

Donell Blount, one of the inmates, was allegedly beaten after refusing to drop the lawsuit. Even though he suffered internal bleeding, he was denied medical attention and thrown into solitary confinement.Source: Bebeto Matthews/AP

The complaint claimed that on April 15, 2016, the inmates went to a multipurpose room for their weekly prayer service but found the guards were already using the space. The guards then angrily ordered the inmates to return to their pods. When the inmates were told they could return to the room for their prayers, they were attacked with pepper spray.

Muslim inmates claim they were pepper sprayed during a prayer meeting at Colorado prison