BATON ROUGE — A man has filed a complaint against a psychiatric aide for alleged violation of his First Amendment rights.
Storm Erie filed a complaint on May 10 against Nancy Hunter, a psychiatric aide at the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System, for alleged violation of the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause by forcing Erie to attend religious services.
According to the plaintiff, on Saturday, January 9, 2021, at approximately 10:00 a.m., Hunter came around as the only aide on ward and said "everyone, get ready, we’re going to go to the service." Erie responded that he did not want to go to service.
Hunter then allegedly responded she would get a guard if Erie did not cooperate, stating she was the only aide on the ward and could not leave any one person unattended. Erie attended the Christian (not agnostic) service after alleged threat of forced compulsion and fear of being written up or other punishment. Erie states his First Amendment right of Free Exercise Clause to be free from forced compulsion at a religious service under the U.S. Constitution was violated by Hunter.
Erie, represented by counsel, seeks compensatory damages for his mental distress, as well as nominal and punitive damages to vindicate violation of his rights and future rights of other residents in the future.
United States District Court Middle District of Louisiana Case 3:21-cv-00267-BAJ-RLB