Supreme Court Says Rastafarian Can’t Sue Prison Officials Who Shaved His Dreadlocks

The court seemed skeptical of Damon Landor’s case during oral argument in November.

Snow falls outside of the Supreme Court in Washington on March 2, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The Supreme Court said on June 23 that a Rastafarian could not sue prison officials in their individual capacities after the officials shaved his dreadlocks.

In a 6–3 decision, the justices said that the officials did not knowingly consent to liability under a federal law protecting prisoners’ religious liberty. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson penned a dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor.