The Supreme Court took up Monday a case on whether a former Louisiana inmate can receive damages from prison officials for forcibly shaving his dreadlocks despite his Rastafari beliefs.

A lower court “emphatically” condemned Damon Landor’s treatment but said the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA) provided no pathway for him to sue the officials for damages in their individual capacities.

Backed by the Trump administration, Landor hopes the Supreme Court will rule the other way, allowing him and other inmates to get compensation when their religious liberty rights are violated.

The case is set to be considered during the Supreme Court’s next annual term. Oral arguments are likely to be set during the late fall or........

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