Legal Battle Brews in West Virginia Over Religious Exemptions to School Vaccination Rules
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A judge in Berkeley County is grappling with the intersection of religious freedoms and public health, following a hearing regarding school vaccination mandates. Judge Michael Lorensen indicated his hesitance to assert that West Virginia’s religious freedoms law has a direct bearing on compulsory vaccinations for schoolchildren. After a lengthy three-hour session, Lorensen opted against issuing a preliminary injunction that would require local school officials to accommodate requests for religious exemptions from nine families. While he scheduled a more comprehensive hearing for Nov. 12, he cautioned the families that their prospects did not … Read more