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June 23, 2026
Supreme Court Rules Against Damon Landor in Dreadlocks Case
- The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Damon Landor cannot sue prison officials for cutting his dreadlocks, violating his Rastafarian beliefs.
- Justice Neil Gorsuch stated that the RLUIPA does not allow for damages against individual state officials, marking a shift from recent rulings favoring religious-liberty claims.
- Landor's case stems from an incident in 2020 when officers forcibly shaved his head while he was incarcerated for a drug-related charge.
10 Sources
- Supreme Court rules against Rastafarian man over religious rights claim against prison officialsJun 23, 2026 at 2:14 PM · NBC
- Supreme Court rules against Rastafarian who sued prison officials for cutting his dreadlocksJun 23, 2026 at 2:18 PM · CNN
- US Supreme Court won't let Rastafarian man shaved bald in prison sue guardsJun 23, 2026 at 2:22 PM · Reuters
- Supreme Court says Rastafarian can’t sue prison officials over shorn dreadlocksJun 23, 2026 at 2:25 PM · Washington Post
- Rastafari man can’t sue Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks, Supreme Court rulesJun 23, 2026 at 2:28 PM · Independent
- Supreme Court rules ex-inmate can't sue prison officials for shaving dreadlocksJun 23, 2026 at 2:29 PM · CBS News
- Supreme Court Bars Lawsuit After Prison Guards Shaved Inmate’s DreadlocksJun 23, 2026 at 2:32 PM · NYT
- Supreme Court ends forcibly shaven Rastafarian inmate’s quest for damagesJun 23, 2026 at 2:54 PM · The Hill
- Supreme Court rules former inmate cannot sue prison guards who cut his dreadlocksJun 23, 2026 at 3:57 PM · BBC
- Rastafarian Prisoner Can’t Sue Guards Who Shaved His Head, Supreme Court RulesJun 23, 2026 at 4:40 PM · WSJ