Damon Landor, a Rastafarian who was incarcerated in Louisiana, had his head forcibly shaved in violation of his religious beliefs. Incredibly, this occurred after he presented prison officials with a printed copy of a Fifth Circuit decision holding that forced cutting of Rastafarians’ hair violates the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA); the officers responded to his request for a religious accommodation by throwing the Fifth Circuit’s decision in the trash. The district court held that RLUIPA does not allow prisoners to sue individual officers for money damages, and that – as a result – Landor had no remedy for the violation he suffered. The Fifth Circuit affirmed, and Landor appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Americans United and our partners filed a brief in support of Damon Landor. We argued that the ability to sue individuals for money damages is critical for prisoners seeking to defend their religious liberty, while noting that RLUIPA contains important safeguards that protect against abuse of this remedy. Our brief was joined by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Interfaith Alliance, Metropolitan Community Churches – Global Justice Institute, People for the American Way, and Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus.
