Four female soccer players at Western Michigan University are testing the bounds of religious freedom. They’re arguing that their school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for student-athletes violates their Christian beliefs. The problem is that, whereas Western Michigan requires athletes to be vaccinated, its campus-wide policy is not as strict. The university strongly encourages COVID-19 vaccination for students, faculty and staff and requires those who aren’t vaccinated to be tested regularly. Today in both the U.S. and Canada, hundreds of universities and colleges are requiring that all students attending classes, living in residences and participating in campus activities must be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a medical exemption. In a few cases, the unvaccinated may be required undergo regular COVID testing. Given growing concerns about the higher infection rates with the Delta variant, school administrations are acting on the side of precaution in order to prevent or limit the foreseeable COVID outbreaks in their communities. In addition, there may be accommodation opportunities for the unvaccinated to proceed with on-line learning options in some instances.
Suggesting that students should be exempted from vaccination policies due to religious beliefs really doesn’t pass the smell test. An attorney for the above four soccer players actually cited a passage of the bible that states that human bodies are “temples of the Holy Spirit”. He further went on to claim that to allow the government to inject something into your body that you don’t necessarily agree with is the antithesis of that belief. Sorry, but this doesn’t hold water. Let’s face it, young Americans and Canadians are required to get vaccinated to protect them from a number of diseases, everything from polio to the measles. In many cases, they cannot attend schools in their districts without proof of such vaccinations. Furthermore, it is very likely that athletes at some time will have to take pain medication because of sports injuries, and in some cases even steroids to enhance performances — legal or otherwise.
Where the above lawsuit may have some validity is in the fact that Western Michigan’s vaccine mandate only applies to student-athletes and not to the whole campus. One could possibly argue that this represents a form of ‘discrimination”. Their argument appears to question why there is a difference between those participating in a sport and those in a choir or labs or classes or dorms and on and on? On the other hand, earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court in a precedent-setting case rejected a challenge to Indiana University’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate which covered all employees and students. Failure to implement a consistent and clear vaccination policy across the board will most likely result in other litigation by anti-vaxxers. It would appear to be in the best interests of universities and colleges to clearly do so, thereby removing any doubts and confusion about their policies.
FROLITICKS 
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