Supreme Court rules that prison guards can't be sued for shaving Rastafarian's head

Key Points:

• The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a Louisiana prisoner, Damon Landor, cannot sue individual prison guards for forcibly shaving his dreadlocks under a federal law protecting prisoners' religious rights, emphasizing limits on suing individuals under laws enacted via the Spending Clause.
• Landor, a Rastafarian, had his hair shaved against his religious beliefs shortly after being transferred to a Louisiana prison, despite carrying documentation of his religious rights, which guards ignored before forcibly shaving his head.
• The majority opinion, authored by Justice Neil Gorsuch, framed the federal law as a contract between states and the federal government, allowing the government to withhold funds but not permitting lawsuits against individual state employees without their consent.
• Legal experts warn the decision could weaken enforcement of congressional laws on civil rights and other issues by limiting individual accountability, while dissenting justices criticized the ruling for undermining both religious rights and congressional authority.
• Landor expressed disappointment but vowed to continue seeking accountability, emphasizing that the violation of his religious faith and dignity should not happen to others.