Damon Landor, Petitioner v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety, et al.

Damon Landor sued prison officials after forced head-shaving conflicted with his Rastafarian beliefs. The Supreme Court said RLUIPA allows suits for money damages against state officials in their individual capacities.

This gives inmates and other people covered by RLUIPA a way to seek money from individual officials, not just policy changes. For example, a prisoner who proves an officer personally violated a religious-accommodation right can now pursue damages from that official.

Lower courts must now apply that reading of RLUIPA in similar cases. Landor's case and others like it can move forward on issues such as whether officials violated the law and whether damages are owed.

The case asked whether RLUIPA lets a prisoner seek money damages from state officials personally. It arose from forced head-shaving that Landor said violated his Rastafarian beliefs.

Prisoners and other institutionalized people with religious-liberty claims are directly affected. State officials now face possible personal damages claims when they are accused of violating RLUIPA.

Lower courts will use this rule in pending and future RLUIPA cases. The litigation now turns to whether specific officials broke the law and what damages, if any, are appropriate.