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

Owner of Portable X-Ray Business Loses Appeal Based on Jury’s Vaccination Status in $2 Million Fraud Case

NORTH CANTON, Ohio – The owner of a portable X-ray business in North Canton, Ohio, has lost his appeal to have his 2022 conviction overturned due to the vaccination status of the jury. Thomas G. O’Lear was found guilty by a federal jury of defrauding Medicare and Medicaid out of nearly $2 million. His company, Portable Radiology Services, was accused of billing nursing home residents for X-ray services that were never provided, and then attempting to cover up the fraudulent activity. In October 2022, O’Lear received a 15-year prison sentence and was ordered to pay … Read more