Minnesota Jail Forces Religious Indoctrination on Inmates, Class Action Says

A Minnesota jail faces a class action lawsuit from an inmate alleging that he and other inmates were forced to participate in religious activities which they were unable to escape without punishment.

Plaintiff Bryant Lutgens recently filed a class action against the County of Dakota and numerous employees of the Dakota County jail. Lutgens claims that the jail forced religious indoctrination on him and other inmates.

Lutgens was an inmate in the Dakota County jail and, as of February 2018, he was incarcerated in the Inmates Motivated to Change (IMC) Unit.

The IMC Unit is reportedly a two story unit which wraps around a central common area, filled with benches, books, vending machines, and a television. Each of the rooms in the IMC Unit can house up to two inmates, and Lutgens says he was housed in one of these rooms.

The Dakota County jail website describes the IMC program as an “opportunity to participate in programming above and beyond the programs available to the entire jail.” The program reportedly teaches inmates life skills, cognitive thinking skills, personal and professional etiquette, and more.

On February 27, jail employees received word that former inmate and Dakota County Sheriff’s Department volunteer Jeff Wynne would be bringing a speaker to talk to the IMC Unit inmates.

This speaker was a pastor at a local church and, during his visit, he allegedly preached, sang, and talked to inmates about religion. Lutgens and other inmates were allegedly unable to leave the presentation without facing punishment, meaning they were subjected to forced, coerced religious indoctrination.

Lutgens claims that these actions are a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the Constitution. The Free Exercise Clause is a portion of the First Amendment which protects the free exercise of religion and commands the government remain neutral on religion and “to have no interest in theology or ritual.”

The plaintiff further argues his case by referencing Masterpiece Cakeshop Ltd. v. Colorado Civ. Rights Commn., a case which found that “the Free Exercise Clause bars even ‘subtle departures from neutrality’ on matters of religion.”

The class action lawsuit claims that the Minnesota jail subjected Lutgens and other inmates to forced religious indoctrination by knowingly welcoming a pastor to speak to the IMC Unit and refusing to allow inmates leave the presentation without punishment.

“Defendants violated the Free Exercise Clause by permitting a pastor to preach, sing, or talk to inmates about religion, which took place in such a manner as to make it impossible for inmates to escape without facing punishment,” the Minnesota jail class action claims.

Lutgens seeks to represent a Class of inmates incarcerated by Dakota County in the IMC Unit as of Feb. 27, 2018 who were subjected to forced religious indoctrination between 1:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. that day.

The Minnesota jail class action lawsuit seeks compensatory damages exceeding $75,000, court costs, and attorneys’ fees.

Plaintiffs are represented by Tim M. Phillips and Joshua R. Williams of The Law Office of Joshua R. Williams PLLC.

The Minnesota Jail Religious Indoctrination Class Action Lawsuit is Lutgens v. County of Dakota, et al., Case No. 0:18-cv-02634, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.