SUPREME COURT CONSIDERS RASTAFARIAN MAN’S CLAIM OVER FORCED HAIRCUT. (PHOTO).

 Supreme Court considers Rastafarian man’s claim over forced haircut

The Supreme Court is set to consider whether a devout Rastafarian can seek damages after Louisiana prison officials forcibly cut his dreadlocks, allegedly violating his religious rights. Damon Landor, who had not cut his hair for nearly 20 years in observance of the “Nazarite vow,” was serving a five-month drug-related sentence at the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in 2020 when corrections officers handcuffed him to a chair and shaved his head despite his protests. Landor had presented a prior court ruling affirming that cutting a Rastafarian’s dreadlocks would violate religious rights.

Landor’s case centers on whether he can claim money damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The state, represented by Attorney General Elizabeth Murrill, has acknowledged that the incident violated religious freedom and revised prison grooming policies but argues that monetary damages are not justified. Landor’s lawyers contend that without damages, RLUIPA’s protections would be meaningless, citing precedent under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Lower courts sided with the state, prompting Landor to appeal to the Supreme Court, which will determine whether inmates can pursue financial compensation for religious rights violations in state facilities.