Plaintiff, an inmate at a state correctional facility, filed a lawsuit alleging violations of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and of his constitutional right to freely exercise his religion after a prison chaplain printed and distributed prayer schedules that were incorrect and then declined to provide corrected schedules. The district court granted summary judgment for the defendant and plaintiff appealed. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that the chaplain did not place a “substantial burden” on plaintiff’s exercise of his religion when the chaplain declined to use government funds to provide an accurate prayer schedule and that this did not violate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. (EASTERBROOK and SYKES, concurring)
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Freedom of Religion