University of Virginia Library

$25 Settlement In $10,000
Suit Over Jail Haircut

A United States District Court
in Harrisonburg has awarded $25 to
a Luray youth in settlement of a
$10,000 suit which he filed after
three Page County deputies cut off
his shoulder-length hair. The ruling
was made by Judge Ted Daltor, on
Wednesday.

Louis Craig Mauck 11, 21, filed
the suit on the grounds that three
deputies scissored off his hair over
his "violent objection" at the Page
County Jail on June 23, where he
was being held on charges of disturbing
the peace and assault and battery.
The deputies in question were
Wayne Housden, Glenn S. Griffith,
and Edward Sedwick.

In making the decision, Judge
Dalton said that "while the intense
feelings often aroused by long haired
young people are widespread
and perhaps understandable, the
forcible cutting of long hair for
reasons of personal distaste by officials
having control of such person
is not to be excused."

Dalton explained that he did not
award Mauch the full $10,000 because
the court does not feel that
the plaintiff was damaged to any
appreciable extent."