A court recently ruled in favor of a state regulation that removes religious exemptions for students of both private and public schools when it comes to state vaccine requirements involving communicable diseases like COVID-19. The New Regulation on Religious Exemptions The new regulation requires immunizations for all children before school enrollment. Before 2021, students could Read More

A judge for a Texas federal court in January, 2022, ruled against a vaccine policy for military members. The judge’s ruling focuses on how the Navy’s regulations address those who seek an exemption on religious grounds from the vaccine mandate. This case highlights religious rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccine Policy Targeted Read More

Lawsuits were first initiated in August against Maine’s Governor, Health and Human Service Commissioner, and Maine CDC Director over their COVID-19 vaccine requirement for healthcare workers. On two occasions, lower federal courts rejected these challenges and agreed with Maine’s mandate. Consequently, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene, the state mandate is now in Read More

A federal appellate court recently issued a decision in favor of Western Michigan University athletes. This decision means the athletes will be able to play sports without obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine. The University had issued a vaccine mandate for student athletes, but did not mandate them for all students. How the Lawsuit Arose The original Read More

A brother and sister in California were recently banned from high school after they refused to wear masks on the first day of school. The father of the siblings reported that the children were told to leave Charter Schools Temecula Student Center and not come back regardless of whether or not they were wearing masks. Read More

A New York federal judge recently vacated a “conscience rule” created by the Trump administration that allows health care workers to refuse to participate or refer in procedures with which they have religious objections. This religious objection is most commonly raised in abortion or gender reassignment surgeries. The decision marks an advancement in women’s and Read More

New York legislators in June 2019 passed a bill that will end religious exemptions to vaccinations. This decision came after a series of debates among legislators concerning this exemption, which was used by parents to justify sending unvaccinated children to school or daycare. This bill represents a strong example of how religious rights can come Read More

A witch was recently forced to resign from her position as dean of the communications schools at St. Bonaventure University as a result her Wiccan beliefs.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently announced the issuance of a new final conscience rule, which is designed to protect individuals and health care entities from discrimination claims on the basis of their exercise of conscience in HHS funded programs. The conscience rule implements full enforcement of 25 provisions passed Read More

  New Jersey law requires school children to receive numerous vaccinations when they reach a certain age, but there are exceptions for parents who want to avoid a vaccination for religious reasons. Some physicians have commented that this loophole in current law is too expansive and can seriously harm children. In response to these concerns, Read More