Skip to content
Sign In Subscribe
Legal — Politics

Former Inmate Loses Religious Rights Damages Case At Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that former Louisiana inmate Damon Landor cannot sue prison officials for monetary damages after they cut off his dreadlocks, despite acknowledging that the action violated his Rastafari religious beliefs.

,   and  TIPP Staff
2 min read
Photo by Claire Anderson / Unsplash

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that former Louisiana inmate Damon Landor cannot sue prison officials for monetary damages after they cut off his dreadlocks, despite acknowledging that the action violated his Rastafari religious beliefs.

💡
According to the Associated Press, the justices held that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act does not authorize lawsuits seeking financial compensation from individual prison officials. Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the majority, said the law contains no provision allowing such claims.

The case stemmed from a 2020 incident at Louisiana’s Raymond Laborde Correctional Center, where prison staff allegedly restrained Landor and shaved his head despite prior court rulings protecting religious dreadlocks. The report said Landor carried a copy of one such ruling when he entered the prison system.

In dissent, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued the decision weakens accountability for prison officials who violate federally protected religious rights. Louisiana told the court it has since revised its prison grooming policies to prevent similar incidents.

Related Tweet:

Also Read:

Court Halts Trump-Era SNAP Restrictions On Sugary Foods
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the U.S. Department of Agriculture lacked the legal authority to approve waiver requests submitted by Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee and West Virginia.
tippinsightsTIPP Staff

Comments

Related

Latest

Vance: Iran Deal Has ‘Successful Foundation’
Iran

Vance: Iran Deal Has ‘Successful Foundation’

“The final deal is the house,” Vance said Monday morning. “We set the foundation. We haven’t built the house, but we’ve laid a successful foundation to get to a good place for the American people.”

,   and  TIPP Staff
Members Public