All articles tagged with #religious exemptions
West Virginia reinstated a ban on religious exemptions for school vaccinations after the state Supreme Court paused a lower court's ruling that allowed such exemptions, emphasizing the state's priority to ensure compliance with vaccine laws and protect student health.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Wisconsin unlawfully denied religious tax exemptions to Catholic-affiliated charitable groups, emphasizing the importance of government neutrality in religious matters under the First Amendment.
Activists advocating for "medical freedom" are targeting childhood vaccine mandates, aiming to overturn them through legal challenges. Mississippi recently began allowing religious exemptions for childhood vaccinations, resulting in over 2,100 schoolchildren being exempted. Similar legal challenges have been filed in California, Connecticut, Maine, New York, and West Virginia. The ultimate goal of these lawsuits is to undo vaccine mandates entirely, with advocates hoping to bring the issue before a Supreme Court that is increasingly sympathetic to religious freedom arguments. Public health experts warn that if vaccination rates dip below 95%, diseases like measles could make a comeback.
Sacred Heart Academy, a Catholic school in Michigan, is challenging a state law in federal court that lacks religious exemptions to its sexual orientation and gender identity policies. The school argues that without a religious exemption, it would be forced to hire faculty and staff who do not align with Catholic teachings. The lawsuit has gained support from the Jewish Coalition for Religious Liberty and the Religious Freedom Institute's Islam and Religious Freedom Action Team, who argue that the law would have a negative impact on minority faiths. The groups emphasize the importance of religious entities' right to hire coreligionists and express concerns about the state's discretionary exemption scheme. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is fighting the lawsuit.
New York City students must meet state vaccine requirements to attend school, including vaccinations for diseases such as DTaP, poliovirus, MMR, varicella, and hepatitis B. Medical exemptions can be obtained with a form completed by a licensed medical doctor, while religious exemptions are no longer accepted. Proof of vaccination must be provided within 14 days of the first day of school, and unvaccinated children must receive the first dose within 14 days and complete subsequent doses on schedule. Vaccinations can be obtained from healthcare providers or Department of Health clinics. Students behind on vaccinations may still attend school with the first dose, but remaining doses must be administered according to the schedule. In case of a disease outbreak, children may be excluded from school for one incubation period. Children who are immune to a disease can apply for an opt-out with a completed form. The article also provides a suggested vaccination schedule by grade.
An independent arbitrator has ruled that Massachusetts State Police must reinstate seven troopers who refused to be vaccinated for COVID-19, stating that the agency violated a collective bargaining agreement by summarily dismissing the troopers instead of reviewing their accommodation requests. The troopers, who have been on unpaid leave, can now return to work with retroactive pay if they choose. The union representing state troopers plans to hold a news conference to address the issue and continue fighting for the reinstatement of 13 other troopers who were fired or dishonorably discharged for failing to get vaccinated.
A federal appeals court has upheld a Connecticut law that ended religious exemptions from immunization requirements for children in schools, colleges, and daycares. The court ruled that ending religious exemptions, while still allowing medical exemptions, was a rational means to promote health and safety by reducing the potential spread of vaccine-preventable diseases. The law had been challenged by several groups and parents, but the court found that it did not violate constitutional rights to due process and the free exercise of religion. Connecticut joins five other U.S. states in eliminating religious exemptions from vaccination requirements.
The Supreme Court's recent decisions on affirmative action and a wedding website designer's right to refuse service to same-sex couples reveal a stark contrast in how the court treats different identities. While racial minorities and LGBTQ+ individuals are required to conform their identities to fit the court's demands, those claiming religious exemptions are given free rein to shape their religious identity as they please, even if it allows them to discriminate against others. This unequal treatment creates a caste system and fundamentally alters the Constitution.