Supreme Court rules Rastafari man can’t sue prison officials who cut his dreadlocks – WTOC

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that a former Louisiana inmate, Damon Landor, cannot sue prison officials for money damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act after they forcibly cut his dreadlocks, violating his Rastafari beliefs. The Court held that the federal law does not authorize lawsuits against individual officers, though the justices condemned Landor’s treatment. Louisiana has since amended its prison grooming policy to prevent similar incidents. The case does not directly involve Georgia’s Department of Corrections, but the ruling sets a precedent that could affect religious rights lawsuits against prison officials in Georgia and other states.