The Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether prisoners who claim their religious rights have been violated may sue state officials personally for monetary damages.
The court’s new ruling on June 23 took the form of an unsigned order in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety. No justices dissented. The court did not explain its decision.
The justices will look at whether damages are allowed under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIP), which forbids state officials from restricting or infringing religious rights.
In Tanzin v. Tanvir (2020), the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that Muslims placed on the so-called no-fly list after refusing to act as informants for the FBI may sue individual government officials personally for damages under the RLUIP’s similarly worded companion legislation, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)….