Judge Tosses Maskless Man's 'Satanic' Claim Against Whole Foods

DEDHAM, MA — A judge has dismissed a Needham man's complaint against a Whole Foods' masking policy that he said violated his religious beliefs last January.

On Jan. 4, 2021, Ryan Manning, of Needham, tried to walk into the Whole Foods at Legacy Place in Dedham without a mask on while there was a statewide mask mandate in play.

Managers attempted to offer Manning a mask so he could shop, but he refused, saying it was "part of a satanic ritual," to do so, and therefore against his religion. Manning also said putting one on would "lower his immune system and deprive him of oxygen," court documents show.

In early 2020, Whole Foods started a policy requiring all customers to wear face coverings while shopping in order to help protect their employees, shoppers, and the community from spreading COVID-19, U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs said.

On a final attempt, store managers Greg Palladino and David J. Filippone offered to do his shopping for him but Manning refused. After he was asked to leave, Manning said no again, saying he wanted to make a "citizen's arrest" against them.

The police were eventually called and Manning was escorted off the property.

Manning went on to file a lawsuit on his own behalf against Whole Foods and the managers on May 19, 2021, saying his First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion were violated - adding that he felt he was "falsely imprisoned" when the managers prevented him from going into the supermarket.

"Plaintiff has a religious belief that the masks are part of a satanic ritual that he refuses to be part of," Manning wrote in the suit. "Plaintiff has a religious belief that he cannot slowly commit suicide by lowering his immune system and depriving himself of oxygen."

Manning also claimed that he was discriminated against and the managers were illegally practicing medicine by asking him to put on a mask to shop.

Judge Burroughs ended up dismissing the entire suit on Jan. 21, 2022 - saying all eight of Manning's allegations were nonsense, especially in the middle of a global pandemic.

"Plaintiff states that his religious beliefs prohibit him from wearing a mask, but the complaint lacks any allegations suggesting he was treated differently than others who do not share his religious belief or that Defendants' actions were motivated by his religious beliefs," Burroughs said in court.

"In fact, the complaint pleads that defendants treated everyone the same and that everyone was subject to the mask policy," Burroughs added.

The judge added that there were no real facts to support that Whole Foods was practicing medicine by implementing a mask policy.

Manning kept trying, citing a "civil harassment" under Massachusetts law that Burroughs said requires proof of a pattern of egregious behavior - not just a one-time incident.

Patch reached out to Manning and Whole Foods for comment, but neither have immediately returned a response.

"In closing, the court cannot help but note the following: despite the myriad of claims brought by Plaintiff, there is not constitutional, statutory, or common law right to jeopardize the health of others by shopping in a Whole Foods, without a mask, in contravention of its prudent policy, during a mass pandemic," Burroughs said shutting down the suit.