Rastafarian Man Loses Appeal Over Prison Head Shaving Incident

A Rastafarian man, Damon Landor, has lost his appeal seeking payment after a prison guard forcibly shaved his head while he was incarcerated in Louisiana. Landor attempted to sue individual state officials under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), which protects religious rights of inmates, but the Fifth Circuit panel upheld a lower court's ruling, citing an established legal precedent. Landor had previously been allowed to keep his locks in two other facilities, but upon his transfer to Raymond Laborde Correctional Center, his religious accommodation was disregarded, and his head was shaved against his beliefs.