Supreme Court says former Louisiana inmate cannot seek damages over forced shaving of dreadlocks
The Facts
- The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against Damon Landor's effort to sue over the shaving of his dreadlocks.
- Landor is a Rastafarian and argued that prison officials violated his religious rights when they cut or shaved his dreadlocks while he was incarcerated in Louisiana in 2020.
- The court held that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act does not permit monetary-damages claims against individual state officials in their personal capacity.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion, and the court's three liberal justices dissented.
- Lower courts had already dismissed Landor's claims, and the Supreme Court's ruling leaves those decisions in place.
- Multiple reports said guards restrained Landor and shaved his head even though he objected on religious grounds.
- The ruling matters beyond Landor's case because it limits one avenue for prisoners to recover money from individual prison employees under RLUIPA when religious-rights violations are alleged.
- What remains unresolved is what remedies prisoners have under RLUIPA when individual officers violate religious rights, a point highlighted by the dissent and by reports noting limits on damages claims against staff.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- RLUIPA now bars prisoners from seeking monetary damages from individual state officials, leaving alleged religious-rights violations with unresolved remedies and lower-court dismissals intact.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about accountability narrowing after an alleged religious-rights violation, or about courts enforcing the limits of the remedy Congress actually authorized.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
What law was at the center of the case?
The case turned on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a federal law intended to protect the religious rights of incarcerated people and others in institutions BBC,Reuters. The Supreme Court said that law does not authorize claims for money damages against individual state employees NYT,Los Angeles Times.
What happened to Damon Landor in prison?
According to multiple reports, Landor was serving a sentence in Louisiana in 2020 when prison guards restrained him and shaved his dreadlocks despite his claim that cutting them violated his Rastafarian faith Jamaica Observer,TimesNow,Hill.
Does the ruling mean the court said Landor's treatment was lawful?
No. Several reports said the justices and lower courts condemned what happened to Landor, but the Supreme Court ruled only that RLUIPA does not let him recover money damages from individual state officials under this lawsuit Aol,Yahoo News,Al Jazeera Online.
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Wire services (8)
APRocketNews | Top News Stories From Around the GlobeSupreme Court rules Rastafari man can't sue Louisiana prison...
ReutersSuperhits 97.9 Terre Haute, INUS Supreme Court won't let Rastafarian man shaved bald in pr...
Independent coverage (50)
EWTN NewsSupreme Court: Inmate cannot sue prison guards for religious...
http://www.radiojamaicanewsonline.comUS Supreme Court Says Rastafarian Man Cannot Sue Prison Guar...
The EconomistA Rastafarian prisoner cannot sue guards who shaved his lock...
The Daily HeraldUS Supreme Court won't let Rastafarian man shaved bald in pr...
World SocialistU.S. Supreme Court issues reactionary rulings as summer rece...
CNN InternationalThe Supreme Court rules against Rastafarian
KUOW-FM (94.9, Seattle)Supreme Court rules that prison guards can't be sued for sha...
NourishSupreme Court Rules Landor Suit Cannot Seek Damages
https://www.localnewslive.comSupreme Court blocks suit over prison guards' forced shave
National Catholic RegisterSupreme Court Rules 6-3 Against Prisoner Seeking Damages for...
Al Jazeera OnlineUS Supreme Court says Rastafarian man shaved by prison guard...
RocketNews | Top News Stories From Around the GlobeUS Supreme Court says Rastafarian man shaved by prison guard...
Daily KosSupreme Court decides not everyone deserves religious libert...
Slate MagazineNeil Gorsuch Just Took a Wrecking Ball to a Major Religious ...
YahooNeil Gorsuch Just Took a Wrecking Ball to a Major Religious ...
The Wall Street JournalOpinion | Religious Prisoners Need Congress's Help
The Boston GlobeSupreme Court bars lawsuit after prison guards shaved inmate...
KTALnews.comSCOTUS backs Louisiana in Rastafarian prisoner hair-cutting ...
MS NOWSupreme Court's 6-3 split is on display in cases on religion...
DNyuzSupreme Court says Rastafarian can't sue prison officials ov...
TruthoutSupreme Court Bars Rastafarian Man From Suing After Prison V...
ComplexSupreme Court Ruling on Rastafari Locs and Prison Rights
Sentinel ColoradoSupreme Court rules Rastafari man can't sue Louisiana prison...
ChristianityToday.comIs the Supreme Court's 'Landor' Ruling a Blow to Religious F...
South China Morning PostRastafarian man can't sue prison guards who shaved him bald:...
Straight Arrow NewsPrison guards cut a Rastafarian's hair. The Supreme Court sa...
The IndependentRastafarian man loses legal battle over prison grooming poli...
Religion News ServiceA Rastafarian's Supreme Court loss shows religious freedom d...
NOLAWill Sutton: SCOTUS supports religious freedom -- except whe...
NTDSupreme Court Says Rastafarian Can't Sue Prison Officials Wh...
ReasonSupreme Court limits the ability to sue prison guards for re...
Mother JonesThe Supreme Court deals a major blow to Congressional author...
Houston Public MediaSupreme Court rules that prison guards can't be sued for sha...
The Daily SignalSCOTUS on Prison Officials Who Violated Free Exercise
TimesNowWhat Is Rastafarian? Supreme Court's Damon Landor Dreadlocks...
DNyuzThe Supreme Court's campaign to expand religious liberty now...
TheGrioKetanji Brown Jackson slams Supreme Court 'scheme' in ruling...
VoxThe Supreme Court's campaign to expand religious liberty now...
TwitchySCOTUS: Rastafarian Can't Sue Prison Guards for Shaving His ...
WTX NewsSupreme Court denies Rastafarian ex-inmate's lawsuit over sh...
Legal NewslineUSSC: Ex-inmate can't sue officials for cutting dreadlocks
CBS NewsSupreme Court rules Rastafarian ex-inmate can't sue prison o...
Jamaica ObserverUS Supreme Court blocks Rastafarian from suing prison guards...
The Philadelphia InquirerSupreme Court says Rastafarian can't sue prison officials ov...
Talk Radio 960amSupreme Court Rules Louisiana Rastafarian Prisoner Can't Sue...
Washington TimesSupreme Court rules against Louisiana prisoner's lawsuit ove...
Hindustan TimesWho is Damon Landor? Rastafarian inmate's case against priso...
Mail OnlineUS Supreme Court rules against man whose dreadlocks were cut...
The StarUS top court says Rastafarian man cannot sue prison guards w...
YahooUS Supreme Court rules against man whose dreadlocks were cut...
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