A Supreme Court case about dreadlocks could end up gutting Medicaid

The Republican justices find something they care about more than they care about religion.

It’s hard to imagine a more clear cut violation of a federal law than what happened to Damon Landor.

Landor is Rastafarian and does not cut his hair as part of his religious practice. While serving a five-month prison sentence on drug charges, however, Louisiana prison officials handcuffed him to a chair, held him down, and shaved his head. They did so, moreover, despite the fact that Landor brought a copy of a federal court decision establishing that he had a right, under federal religious liberty law, to keep his hair long while incarcerated.

And yet, it seemed very clear during oral arguments in Landor’s case on Monday — the case is known as Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections — that at least five, and possibly as many as six, justices will vote against Landor.

Key Takeaways

Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections involves a straightforward violation of an incarcerated man’s religious rights.

The case turns, however, on an arcane rule governing whether he may sue the officers who violated his rights.