On Wednesday a federal judge ruled that the government cannot require Head Start program teachers, staff and volunteers be vaccinated against COVID-19, nor can they require that adults and students wear masks, according to an announcement by Liberty Justice Center.
In December 2021, teachers Sandy Brick of Louisiana and Jessica Trenn of Ohio, filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration, with the help of attorneys at the Liberty Justice Center and Louisiana-based Pelican Institute for Public Policy, to stop the mandate.
Terry A. Doughty, a judge on the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, a Trump appointee, said “the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines.”
“Louisiana teacher Sandy Brick has been serving her students through adversity and uncertainty the last two years. Today, this decision vindicates her right to teach without sacrificing her freedom.” – Sarah Harbison, general counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy said.
“Although President Biden recently declared that the ‘pandemic is over,’ the fight to restore Americans’ individual liberties is not,” said Daniel Suhr, managing attorney at the Liberty Justice Center. “We will continue to fight for teachers like Sandy and the low-income students they serve until every illegal and unjustified mandate is wiped from the books. Today’s decision is a significant step toward undoing the injustice perpetrated against everyday Americans throughout the COVID-19 crisis.”
The ruling permanently enjoins the vaccine and mask mandate in 24 states.
Judge Doughty writes:
“The public interest is served by maintaining the constitutional structure and maintaining the liberty of individuals who do not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine. This interest outweighs Agency Defendants’ interests. The public has a liberty interest in not being required to take a vaccine or be fired from their jobs. The public interest must be taken into account before allowing Agency Defendants to mandate vaccines. Although vaccines arguably serve the public interest, the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines.”
The federal government can appeal the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the same court that blocked the government’s vaccine mandate for private businesses.
