US EditionGroups sue over West Virginia governor’s order on religious exemptions for school vaccines
- 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- State schools Superintendent Michelle Blatt briefly issued and rescinded a May 2, 2025, memo enforcing immunization requirements for the 2025-26 school year at Morrisey's request, amid longstanding vaccination rules requiring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.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Charleston Gazette-Mail
ACLU, Mountain State Justice file lawsuit over Morrisey’s vaccine exemptions
The American Civil Liberties Union of West Virginia and Mountain State Justice filed legal action Friday, May 23, 2025, over West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey's executive order that requires the state health officials to recognize religious and philosophical exemptions to the state’s schools vaccine mandates — exemptions that are not a part of state law.
Some 300 W. Virginia School Vaccine Exemptions Granted Under New, Laxer Policy
Just over 330 requests for religious and philosophical exemptions to West Virginia’s school vaccine policy have been submitted — and approved — for this school year and 35 have been granted for the coming year, according to records obtained by The 74. The newly approved religious and philosophical exemptions already outpace the 203 permanent medical exemptions granted in the state over the past decade, at one time the only exemptions allowed in …
Washington Top News
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…
Associated Press News
Groups sue over West Virginia governor's order on religious exemptions for school vaccines
Two groups have filed a lawsuit over an executive order by West Virginia's governor granting religious exemptions from required school vaccinations.
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…
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