CECIL KOGER v. GARY C. MOHR, ET AL. - Articles

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CECIL KOGER v. GARY C. MOHR, ET AL.

Posted by: Karen Belcher on Jul 7, 2020

Court: 6th Circuit Court (Published Opinions)

Attorneys 1: ARGUED: Andrew Geronimo, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.

Attorneys 2: ARGUED: Mindy Worly, OFFICE OF THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus, Ohio, for Appellees.

Attorneys 3: ON BRIEF: Andrew Geronimo, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Cleveland, Ohio, for Appellant.

Attorneys 4: ON BRIEF: Mindy Worly, OFFICE OF THE OHIO ATTORNEY GENERAL, Columbus, Ohio, for Appellees.

Judge(s): CLAY, COOK, and WHITE, Circuit Judges

Court Appealed: United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio at Youngstown

HELENE N. WHITE, Circuit Judge. Cecil Koger is an inmate of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) and a practicing Rastafarian. Between 2006 and 2018, Koger made numerous religious-practice accommodation requests, including requests to grow his dreadlocks, keep a religious diet, observe fasts, and commune with other Rastafarians. Alleging that ODRC’s responses were inadequate, Koger brought these claims under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against several ODRC officials. The district court granted summary judgment to Defendants. We affirm in part, reverse in part, and remand for further proceedings.

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