Lewis v. Sternes

Dist. Ct. did not err in granting defendants-prison officials’ motion for summary judgment in plaintiff-prisoner’s action alleging that defendants violated plaintiff’s religious rights under Constitution and Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, when defendants failed to accommodate his African Hebrew Israelite of Jerusalem religion by allowing him to maintain his dreadlocked hair when receiving visitors and appearing in court. Defendants maintained that plaintiff’s dreadlocks were of such nature that it was impossible to perform effective search of said hair, and prison rules regulating dreadlocks was valid security measure. Moreover, plaintiff failed to present any evidence indicating that prison had no need to regulate hair length, or that said need was insufficient to warrant interference with plaintiff’s religion.