Supreme Court to Hear Case Regarding Muslim Inmate's Right to Grow a Beard
- Updated Oct 03, 2014
The U.S. Supreme Court will take on the case on whether Arkansas prisoner Gregory Holt has a right to grow a beard to stay in line with his religious beliefs. Holt, who is also known as Abdul Maalik Muhammad, asked the court to let him grow a beard even though Arkansas prisons do not allow it.
"Mr. Holt represented himself when he first filed a request for a stay at the Supreme Court. After the Supreme Court granted the stay, we reached out to Mr. Holt and put him in touch with professor Doug Laycock at the University of Virginia Law School," Hannah Smith, senior counsel with The Becket Fund, told The Christian Post.
"When the Supreme Court granted cert in the case, we offered to serve as co-counsel with professor Laycock and he agreed, likely because of our good experience working together on the Hosanna-Tabor case."
Last year, Holt filed a legal complaint against the Arkansas Department of Correction. The ADC has said in response that the facial hair restrictions are for security reasons.
Publication date: October 3, 2014
