Howard Friedman, Religion Clause

In Ali v. Duboise, (10th Cir., Feb. 6, 2019), the 10th Circuit affirmed the dismissal on qualified immunity grounds of a Muslim inmate’s complaint that he was told to pray outside his cell but his request for a more specific location was met with threats, expletives, a push and temporary lock down.

In Saleem v. Bonds, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16081 (D NJ, Jan.. 29, 2019), a New Jersey federal district court allowed an inmate to proceed with his complaint that the Muslim prison chaplain denied him access to Jumu’ah prayer services because photos depicting homosexuals had been sent to plaintiff.

In Hall v. Tapp, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16506 (WD NC, Feb. 1, 2019), a North Carolina federal district court dismissed an inmate’s complaint that a correctional officer took two bottles of oil and a kufi from his cell.

In Morales v. New Hampshire Attorney General, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17125 (D NH, Feb. 1, 2019), a New Hampshire federal district court adopted a magistrate’s recommendation (2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17431, Jan. 3, 2019) and dismissed on qualified immunity grounds a Catholic inmate’s free exercise objection to a strip search.

In Glenn v. Johnson, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17515 (D NJ, Feb. 1, 2019), a New Jersey federal district court dismissed a Muslim inmate’s complaint that he was not served Halal meat rather than a vegetarian diet.

In Vaughn v. Wegman, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 17639 (ED CA, Feb. 1, 2019), a California federal magistrate judge recommended dismissal of an inmate’s complaint that the Community Resource Manager denied him participation in the Jewish kosher meal program and Jewish religious services.

In Depaola v. Clarke, 2019 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 18629 (WD VA, Feb. 5, 2019), a Virginia federal magistrate judge recommended finding that manner in which the one-quarter inch beard grooming policy was enforced against a Muslim inmate did not substantially burden his free exercise rights.