A lawsuit has been filed against a Los Angeles charter school by parents and students over a vaccine mandate that allegedly stopped unvaccinated students from attending class.
Let Them Breathe, a nonprofit organization, is representing the students and parents in the lawsuit.
Founder Sharon McKeeman told Fox News Digital, “Female students were segregated, harassed, and threatened with suspension just for trying to participate in their classes, and we will prove in court that this is unjust and unlawful”.
The organization shared videos online of the New West Charter School students protesting after it refused to let them in when school reopened on Jan. 18, 2022.
Students were allegedly segregated “behind barriers”. “We’re being refused of the right to attend school,” one student said. “We feel segregated and discriminated against,” said another.
The school put a vaccine mandate in place after winter break, which has a 96% compliance, but “six students who did not follow the new policy still attempted to participate in classes”. Those students were asked to leave and “proceeded to stage a sit-in directly behind designated areas for student PCR screenings on campus which was cordoned off with tape”.
“New West Charter School administration notified local authorities who came to campus and helped alleviate the disruption,” the school said.
New West Charter claimed parents were made aware of the vaccine mandate last October. Students were required to be vaccinated and provide negative COVID-19 test. An “independent study option” was offered for students who wanted to remain unvaccinated.
Let Them Breathe, which won against the San Diego Unified School District’s vaccine mandate in December, is challenging New West Charter’s mandate.
McKeeman said “New West Charter School’s student vaccine mandate is even more egregious than San Diego Unified’s”. “New West is mandating for ages 12 and up, which is not even FDA approved”.
“We have filed a lawsuit against New West arguing that they are violating state law by mandating this new vaccine, not allowing personal belief exemptions, and segregating and denying unvaccinated students their education,” she added.
“While we are extremely disappointed in the actions of a small group of families who do not support the vaccination policy, the council and NWC parents believe it is the right thing to do for all our students,” the New West Charter Governance Council said in a statement.