US Supreme Court says Rastafarian man shaved by prison guards can’t sue

Key Points:

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Damon Landor, a Rastafarian man, cannot sue individual prison officials for cutting his dreadlocks in violation of his religious beliefs under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
• Justice Neil Gorsuch, writing for the conservative majority, stated that individual employees have not consented to be sued under RLUIPA, meaning Landor's case cannot proceed against them, even if his rights were violated.
• The ruling upheld a lower court decision that incarcerated individuals cannot seek financial damages from individual prison employees, only from the state or local entities receiving federal funds.
• Landor, who served a prison term in Louisiana in 2020, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue seeking accountability for the violation of his religious rights and dignity.
• The three liberal justices dissented, arguing that RLUIPA is a law designed to protect religious rights and that prison officials need legal consequences to ensure compliance with prisoners' religious protections.