Eight students at the state’s largest university sought to block the requirement that everyone returning to campus in August must be fully vaccinated, including staff. US District Judge Damon Leichty denied their motion late on Sunday.
Vaccine mandates have been upheld by US courts, Leichty wrote in his 100-page opinion, adding that the university is pursuing “a reasonable and due process of vaccination in the legitimate interest of public health for its students, faculty, and staff.”
The decision was hailed by most corporate media outlets, who pointed out it was the first such ruling in the US – and that Leichty was nominated by former US President Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate in 2019.
Others were more critical.
Civil rights lawyer Robert Barnes called it a “terrible” ruling that will be contested on appeal, and argued it “basically tries to restore the 19th century case law where governments could force vaccine, force sterilizations, and force populations into detention camps in the name of ‘safety’.”
The university currently requires all students, faculty and staff to be fully vaccinated by August 1.
Students who do not comply will have their class registration canceled, access cards and computer access “terminated” and not be allowed to participate in any campus activity, while faculty and staff who refuse “will no longer be able to be employed” by IU, as “working remotely and not meeting the [Covid-19] vaccine requirement is not an option.”
The eight plaintiffs argued this violated their rights to bodily integrity, informed choice of medical treatment and religious freedom, forcing them to choose between vaccination and education.
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