Opinion ID: 1264825
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Van Wyhe's Claims

Text: Van Wyhe is also an inmate at the SDSP. In relevant part, he brought suit against several South Dakota prison officials claiming that they violated his free exercise of religion rights under RLUIPA and the First Amendment by implementing a prison policy, SDDOC Policy 1.5.F.2, which was in effect when his suit was filed. Pursuant to this policy, prison officials deprived Van Wyhe of kosher meals for a period of time as a sanction for violating the prison rules governing religious diets. Effective February 14, 2007, this policy was changed, eliminating the sanction of removal from the religious diet program for a prison rules violation. Van Wyhe is currently receiving a kosher diet. He sought monetary, injunctive, and declaratory relief based upon the policy as it existed prior to February 14, 2007, but he did not challenge the amended policy. In ruling on the prison officials' motion for summary judgment, the district court relied on the legal conclusions made in Sisney's case regarding sovereign immunity, the availability of monetary damages under RLUIPA as limited by the PLRA, and the constitutionality of RLUIPA. Because the policy changed as of February 14, 2007, the district court concluded that Van Wyhe was not entitled to injunctive or declaratory relief regarding the original version of the policy but permitted the official-capacity RLUIPA claim for monetary damages to proceed against the officials involved in enforcing the original policySecretary Reisch, Warden Weber, and Cultural Activities Coordinator Wagner. The district court granted qualified immunity on the § 1983 First Amendment individual capacity claims. In these consolidated interlocutory appeals, the prison officials appeal the district court's denials of summary judgment. We are also called upon to consider the constitutionality of RLUIPA, as well as the availability of monetary damages against the state government under RLUIPA.