The U.S. Supreme Court recently vacated a lower court's ruling that denied religious liberties to members of the Amish community in rural New York State.
According to Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals supported the State of New York imposing significant financial penalties for non-compliance with the State's school immunization schedule.
In response to the bench's decision, Alabama led a multistate brief supporting several Amish-only private schools in the region.
Marshall, who filed the multistate brief, praised the Supreme Court's recent decision in a press release.
"Alabama joined this legal battle to stop New York's hostility toward religion from becoming entrenched in federal law," said Marshall. "This ruling vacates a bad decision and confirms we were right to take action. While the Supreme Court did not conclusively resolve the issue of religious objections to vaccines, this victory signals to courts that they must respect the religious rights of parents."
"No family should be forced to choose between raising their children in their faith and accessing a basic education," added Marshall.
According to Marshall, the 21-state brief filed in September argued that the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause was meant to protect against the government coercing actions that violate one's religious convictions. The brief also explains how a law like New York's vaccine mandate, which includes some exemptions but not religious ones, is not "neutral and generally applicable."
The states argued that "public health is not a legitimate reason to trample on the rights of conscience, and they fear that States like New York and the federal government will continue to encroach on these essential freedoms."
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