Salahuddin v. Goord

In this 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action, a prisoner brings two sets of claims relevant on appeal: (1) claims for violation of his First Amendment right to free exercise of religion and his free-exercise right under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 ("RLUIPA"), 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc; and (2) a claim for violation of his Eighth Amendment right to be free of cruel and unusual punishment. The prisoner alleges that prison officials forced Shiite and Sunni Muslims to conduct Ramadan services jointly, denied him Islamic holiday meals and the ability to attend Islamic worship services, and refused to provide him with a Muslim chaplain or a free Quran. The prisoners Eighth Amendment claim stems from alleged deliberate indifference to his serious medical need for immediate Hepatitis C treatment. The District Court for the Southern District of New York (Charles L. Brieant, Judge) granted summary judgment to the defendants on all of the prisoners claims. We affirm in part, vacate in part, and remand.