Children’s Health Defense Supports Student Fighting to Get Back to School After Religious and Medical Vaccine Exemptions Denied

Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 8, 2025

A student referred to as “Sarah Doe,” in court filings has been barred from her school in Oceanside, NY after seven valid medical exemptions her parents provided to the school were all denied. Sarah – who is missing only one Hepatitis-B shot – cannot find a physician to provide further vaccines because of prior adverse reactions. Plaintiffs in the case, *Doe v. Oceanside Unified School District, et al.,* have filed for a temporary restraining order with arguments scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 in the Long Island Federal Courthouse. This case has been featured in Daily Wire as well as in The Defender.

A recent Supreme Court ruling may have given this case new legal traction. SCOTUS ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor that a parent’s rights to religious liberty in a school setting cannot be ignored. Any religious liberty concern on the part of parents must be viewed through the lens of strict scrutiny, meaning there can’t be a general, blanket rule that applies to everyone the same way. Each parental concern must be analyzed on an individual basis. While the Mahmoud case was dealing with LGBTQ+ content being taught to children, attorney for the plaintiffs Sujata Gibson says this clearly also applies to sincerely held religious beliefs regarding vaccination.

“The Mahmoud ruling is a landmark victory for parental rights and religious liberty,” said Gibson. “Among other things, it ensures that sincerely held religious beliefs, including those concerning vaccination, must be given the highest level of protection under strict scrutiny. This decision empowers parents to safeguard their children’s education and well-being in alignment with their faith.”

Sarah had a religious exemption to vaccination until 2019, when New York State abolished non-medical exemptions, forcing Sarah and her family to choose between their faith or Sarah’s education. The family reluctantly vaccinated their daughter on an expedited schedule which led to multiple injuries and medical conditions for their daughter, some of which are still not explained or understood well by any of Sarah’s doctors.

Sarah and her family seek an emergency ruling that will allow her back in school pending resolution of the lawsuit. A central question in this motion is whether Mahmoud requires schools to provide religious accommodation from vaccines. The federal judge presiding in the Doe case recently informed counsel that he expects all parties to be ready to present oral arguments, which will be happening on Tuesday August 12, 2025 at 2:00 pm at 100 Federal Plaza in Central Islip, NY.

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Children’s Health Defense is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is ending childhood health epidemics by eliminating toxic exposure. We will restore and protect the health of children by eliminating environmental exposures, holding responsible parties accountable, and establishing safeguards to prevent future harm of children’s health. Protecting Children. Exposing Harms. Seeking Justice.