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Jun 23, 2026 SCOTUS blocked a Rastafarian prisoner from suing officials for forced head-shaving Tier 1 · Primary Civil Rights and Dissent
A 6-3 ruling found the relevant statute does not permit individual damages claims against state officials, leaving prisoners without federal monetary remedy for religious-rights violations.
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Supporting reports
- US Supreme Court blocks Rastafarian prisoner's damages lawsuit over forced head-shaving — The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, refused to allow Damon Landor, a Louisiana prisoner and Rastafarian, to sue state prison officials for monetary damages after guards forcibly shaved his head in 2020, violating his religious beliefs. The court ruled that the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) of 2000 does not permit individual officials to be held personally liable for damages. Justice Gorsuch wrote that Congress lacks authority under the Spending Clause to impose liability on state officials directly. The three liberal justices dissented, warning that prisoners would be left without remedy for religious freedom violations.
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Week 75 – 2026-06-20–2026-06-26
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