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Lawsuit Aims to Stop Enforcement of West Virginia's Vaccine Exemption Order
- Two groups filed a lawsuit on May 23, 2025, in Kanawha County Circuit Court against West Virginia's vaccine exemption executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey.
- The lawsuit challenges Morrisey's order granting religious exemptions, which followed a 2023 law allowing religious freedom but contrasts with the Legislature's rejection of related exemption legislation earlier in 2025.
- State schools Superintendent Michelle Blatt briefly issued and rescinded a May 2, 2025, memo enforcing immunization requirements for the 2025-26 school year at Morrisey's request, amid longstanding vaccination rules requiring multiple vaccines before school.
- ACLU legal director Aubrey Sparks stated, "Governors do not rule by decree," emphasizing the Legislature's authority over vaccination policy amid concerns over West Virginia's poor health outcomes and decreased community immunization.
- The lawsuit argues that the governor’s executive order undermines legislative authority and public health protections, while Morrisey maintains he aims to enforce religious exemptions and not rescind his order.
18 Articles
18 Articles
The Daily Advance
Groups sue over West Virginia governor's order on religious exemptions for school vaccines
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two groups filed a lawsuit Friday over an executive order by West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey granting religious exemptions from required school vaccinations.
ACLU, Mountain State Justice file lawsuit over Morrisey’s vaccine exemptions
Two legal advocacy organizations filed legal action Friday over an executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey that requires the state health officials to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions to the state’s schools vaccine mandates — exemptions that are not a…
Lawsuit aims to stop enforcement of West Virginia's vaccine exemption order
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) and Mountain State Justice (MSJ) have filed a lawsuit of behalf of parents to stop Gov. Patrick Morrisey's executive order allowing vaccine exemptions in schools. The order, which was signed in January, directed health officials to stop enforcing “compulsory school immunization requirements," for students who request a religious exemption. A bill to codify r…
Parents sue West Virginia officials over Governor’s vaccine mandate rollback
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WTRF) — The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia (ACLU-WV) and Mountain State Justice (MSJ) have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the enforcement of Governor Patrick Morrisey's executive order that permits religious exemptions from school vaccination requirements. Filed in Kanawha County Circuit Court on Friday, May 23, 2025, the lawsuit asks the court to prevent state education officials from implementing the direc…
ACLU, Mountain State Justice file lawsuit over Morrisey’s vaccine mandate order • West Virginia Watch
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice filed a writ of mandamus Friday in Kanawha County Circuit Court over an executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey that requires the state health officials to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions to the state’s schools vaccine mandates. (Getty Images)Two legal advocacy organizations filed legal action Friday over an executive order by Gov. Patrick Morrisey t…
ACLU and Mountain State Justice file lawsuit against religious exemptions to mandatory vaccines
Kanawha County, WV (WOAY) – The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice have filed a lawsuit in Kanawha County asking that the court stop education officials from enforcing an executive order that allows religious and philosophical exemptions to mandatory vaccines in schools. The suit is brought on behalf of two West Virginia parents. Governor Patrick Morrisey issued the executive order earlier this year. The l…
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