Prisoner revives claim seeking dietary accommodations for his religious beliefs

Client(s) Williams, DeAndre

Jones Day obtained a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in favor of client DeAndre Williams that vacated the district court's grant of summary judgment against his claim under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA). Williams, a New York state prisoner, filed suit seeking a diet in prison that would accommodate his religious beliefs. The state won summary judgment on the basis that accommodating Williams would be too burdensome. But the Second Circuit held that the district court "failed to appreciate the substantial showing that the government must make to justify burdening an individual plaintiff’s practice of a sincerely held religious belief." The Second Circuit remanded the case back to the district court for further proceedings.

Williams v. Fischer, No. 15-01018 (2d Cir. July 10, 2018)