On Monday, the Supreme Court seemed against the decision to allow Damon Landor, a devout Rastafarian man, to seek monetary damages from Louisiana prison officials who violated his religious rights. 

The New York Times reports that Landor was so cautious of the Louisiana prison system that when he arrived to serve his five-month sentence in 2020, he carried a copy of a legal opinion that supported his right to keep his dreadlocks. The practice is known as the Nazarite vow, and under the federal law, a prisoner’s religious freedom must be honored. 

Around four months into Landor’s sentence, with barely one month to go, he was transferred to Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Cottonport, Louisiana.

Here, the Times reports that guards restrained Landor, handcuffed him, and forcibly shaved off his locks. They also threw the legal opinion in the trash, according to court documents.

As BET previously shared, after his release, Landor sued the officials involved under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), requesting monetary damages. 

However, because RLUIPA prohibits damage claims against individuals, a federal district court dismissed the case. A 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals panel upheld the dismissal in 2023, strongly denouncing the forced haircut but claiming that precedent precluded "individual liability" under the Act. 

Despite working on the opposing side, Attorney General Elizabeth B. Murrill of Louisiana condemned what happened to Landon. Lower courts also said Damon Landor’s treatment was wrong; however, whether or not he can sue for compensation against state officials is what’s being called into question.

In the most recent update from Reuters, Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Aguinaga told the justices that the decision should be made by Congress to allow for individual damages in RLUIPA.

Stay tuned.