Schools in West Virginia have been ordered to ignore state laws and begin vaccinating children against their families’ wishes and without parental consent.
In a move that’s igniting outrage among parents and constitutional advocates alike, the West Virginia Department of Education has ordered schools to disregard Republican Governor Patrick Morrisey’s executive order and enforce mandatory vaccinations on children.
Schools have been instructed to force-vaccinate students even against their parents’ wishes.
The state is effectively forcing schoolchildren to get injected or be expelled, regardless of religious convictions or conscientious objections, all under the banner of “public health.”
In January, Gov. Morrisey issued Executive Order 7-25, protecting families’ rights to opt out of school vaccine mandates on religious or moral grounds, a right enshrined in West Virginia’s own Equal Protection for Religion Act of 2023, modeled on the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
Parents need only submit a written statement; no court battles, no doctor notes, no government approvals.
Just a simple exercise of religious freedom.
But now, the unelected bureaucrats at the West Virginia Department of Education have unanimously voted to ignore that executive order and force schools to obey state vaccine mandates as written, which offer no exemptions for religious or philosophical beliefs.
The education department, led by Superintendent Michelle Blatt, is doubling down, warning schools that any child not fully vaccinated against a laundry list of illnesses (from chickenpox and hepatitis to whooping cough and measles) may not be allowed to attend school starting in 2025.
Even though Covid shots are not on the list, parents worry this is just the beginning, and many see this as a dangerous precedent that opens the door to forced compliance with future mandates.
Ironically, Blatt initially backed down after pressure from Morrisey, but now the department is marching ahead, signaling a deliberate act of insubordination against the governor and the will of thousands of families.
“This isn’t about public health anymore, it’s about power,” said Alex Lanfranconi, a spokesperson for Governor Morrisey.
“These officials are trampling on the religious liberties of children and trying to turn West Virginia into California.”
Indeed, California, New York, Maine, and Connecticut are the only states that deny religious exemptions entirely.
West Virginia is now on track to join them, despite having laws meant to protect religious freedom on the books.
The legal back-and-forth is escalating.
Critics argue that the state Department of Education is ignoring RFRA protections, which courts have often described as “super statutes.”
These super statues take precedence even over other state mandates when constitutional rights are at stake.
Attorneys like Greg Glaser and Rick Jaffe insist that Governor Morrisey has the legal authority to shield citizens from unconstitutional mandates.
The executive order doesn’t eliminate the vaccine law; it simply enforces it in line with religious liberty protections.
“This is the exact kind of government abuse RFRA was designed to prevent,” said Glaser.
“It’s not just legal — it’s moral.
“These mandates can injure children for life, and parents should not be forced to choose between their beliefs and their kids’ education.”
The ACLU and a progressive legal group have already filed a lawsuit to strike down the governor’s order.
Meanwhile, several private and religious schools are defying the education department and following the governor’s directive instead.
The clash is about more than vaccines; it’s about who decides how your child is raised: You, or the state?
“This is a test case for the entire country,” said Jaffe.
“Do we still believe in religious freedom and parental authority — or do we hand it over to agencies that answer to no one?”
Support for religious and medical exemptions is surging.
A 2024 Gallup poll showed declining public trust in mandatory school vaccination.
Another NIH-funded study found that most educators oppose forced COVID shots and question school authority over medical decisions.
Yet the state presses forward.
This battle will likely end up in court. And for many, it’s about much more than West Virginia.
It’s about a nationwide reckoning:
- Can governors protect families from federal-style mandates?
- Can parents reject medical procedures they don’t consent to?
- Or are Americans expected to submit to public health technocrats, no questions asked?
One thing is clear: The fight for medical freedom is far from over.
And for parents in West Virginia, the front lines now run through their children’s classrooms.
READ MORE – FDA: Covid-Vaxxed Face Sudden Death Ticking Time Bomb for Several Years After Injection
