US EditionSupreme Court to decide if prison officials can be sued over inmates' religious rights
- On June 23, 2025, the Supreme Court decided to review Damon Landor’s lawsuit against Louisiana prison officials who forcibly shaved his dreadlocks.
- Landor, a devout Rastafarian serving a drug-related five-month sentence in 2020, challenged the lower courts' dismissal of his suit under a 2000 federal law protecting inmates' religious rights.
- Despite a 2017 appeals ruling banning Louisiana's hair-cutting policy, officials shaved Landor bald on the warden's orders, then dismissed his monetary damages claim against individual staff.
- Solicitor General D. John Sauer warned denying damages would "undermine that important purpose," while state attorneys argued a ruling for Landor would worsen prison staffing shortages.
- The high court's upcoming term starting October will address whether inmates like Landor can seek monetary relief, potentially impacting accountability for religious rights violations in prisons.
120 Articles
120 Articles
Supreme Court agrees to hear former inmate’s lawsuit over forced haircut
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Damon Landor, a former Louisiana inmate who says prison officials violated his religious rights by forcing him to cut his dreadlocks. The case stems from his time in the state prison system in 2020. Lawsuit says Louisiana prison violated religious rights The case reached the Supreme Court after an appellate court blocked Landor’s lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public …
Supreme Court Takes Up RLUIPA Damages Case - American Faith
The Supreme Court is reviewing whether former Louisiana inmate Damon Landor can sue correctional officers for damages after they forcibly cut off his dreadlocks—an act he says violated his Rastafari faith. Lower courts criticized the incident but ruled that under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA), Landor cannot seek compensation from officials in their individual roles. Supported by the Trump administratio…
Court to decide whether government officials can be held personally liable for violating inmate’s religious liberty
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether an inmate can sue a government official in his individual capacity – that is, seeking to hold an official personally liable, rather than the government entity itself – for violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, a law enacted by Congress in 2000 partly to strengthen the religious liberty rights of prisoners. In a list of orders from the justices’ private confere…
High Court to Weigh Rastafarian's Case Against Shaving Policy
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider a Rastafarian's lawsuit against Louisiana prison officials for forced hair shaving. Damon Landor claims this violated religious rights protected by federal law. The Court aims to decide if individuals can be sued for monetary damages under this legislation.
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