Supreme Court takes up religious claim by Rastafarian whose dreadlocks were cut by prison officials

WASHINGTON — Taking up a caller spiritual rights case, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to measurement a assertion for damages brought by a devout Rastafarian whose dreadlocks were chopped by Louisiana situation officials against his wishes.

At the clip of the incidental successful 2020, Damon Landor had kept a spiritual vow not to chopped his hairsbreadth for astir 20 years.

Landor had served each but 3 weeks of his five-month condemnation imposed for a drug-related transgression condemnation successful Louisiana erstwhile helium was transferred to the Raymond Laborde Correction Center.

He was holding a transcript of a tribunal ruling that made it wide that practicing Rastafarians should beryllium fixed a spiritual accommodation allowing them to support their dreadlocks.

But a situation serviceman dismissed his concerns and Landor was handcuffed to a seat portion 2 officers shaved his head.

Upon his release, Landor filed a suit raising assorted claims, including the 1 astatine contented astatine the Supreme Court, which helium brought nether a national instrumentality called the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act.

Rastafarian Damon Landor earlier and aft having his dreadlocks shaved disconnected astatine Raymond Laborde Correction Center successful Louisiana.Supreme Court of the United States

At contented is whether radical who writer nether that statute tin triumph wealth damages.

Louisiana Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill said successful tribunal papers that the authorities does not contention that Landor was mistreated and noted that the situation strategy has already changed its grooming argumentation to guarantee that different Rastafarian prisoners bash not look akin situations.

But she contests whether Landor tin get get wealth damages for his claim.

A national justice and the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals some ruled successful favour of the state, saying that wealth damages are not available.

Landor's lawyer constituent to a 2020 Supreme Court ruling that allowed specified damages successful claims arising nether a akin instrumentality called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The laws person "identical language," they said successful tribunal papers.

The tribunal volition perceive oral arguments and contented a ruling successful the lawsuit successful its adjacent term, which starts successful October and ends successful June 2026.