Liberty Counsel recently sent a letter to the superintendent of Glenview School District 34 and now the staff at those schools will no longer be required to take the COVID-19 “vaccine.”
Last month, school administration sent a directive to its employees, stating that “the District is requiring all staff to have begun the COVID vaccination process no later than April 30, 2021 as a condition of continued employment.” As a result, several concerned employees contacted Liberty Counsel, because they have religious and conscience objections to this “vaccine,” and do not want to be forced to choose between their faith and their jobs.
Liberty Counsel sent a demand letter on April 7, 2021, advising the district that forced vaccination is a violation of fundamental individual, economic, and religious liberties, the rights of personal autonomy and bodily integrity, the right to a religious accommodation, right to reject the vaccines, including and especially COVID injections. All existing COVID shots are only permitted under a federal Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), which law states that people must be provided informed consent and such drugs cannot be forced or coerced. Liberty Counsel also noted that forced vaccination of employees, as a condition of employment, violates the First Amendment, federal law, and Illinois state law.
Illinois has a Health Care Right of Conscience Act that provides strong protection to all residents against discrimination based on health care choices. It states: “It shall be unlawful for any person, public or private institution, or public official to discriminate against any person in any manner, including but not limited to, licensing, hiring, promotion, … or any other privileges, because of such person’s conscientious refusal to receive, obtain, accept … or participate in any way in any particular form of health care services contrary to his or her conscience” (emphasis added).
Yesterday, District Superintendent Dane A. Delli notified Liberty Counsel that the district will honor and grant employee requests for exemption from vaccination based upon conscience or religious beliefs. Delli wrote, “I further am writing to inform you that any employee having a qualifying religious objection to receiving the vaccine will be provided an exemption from the mandate. … Any employee wishing to request such an exemption should make that request to the District’s Human Resources Office. Insofar as the request is based upon a conscience objection protected by the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, the School District will honor such exemption requests as well. The employee need only to make the request to the Human Resources Office.”
Vice President of Legal Affairs and Chief Litigation Counsel Horatio Mihet said, “Forced vaccination against the rights of conscience is unconscionable. Americans should not be forced to choose between their livelihood and a COVID injection. The COVID experimental injection has only been approved by the FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization and it cannot be mandated. Such a Hobson’s choice is not only unconstitutional and unlawful, it is also un-American.”
Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Forcing any person to receive one of these COVID injections authorized for emergency use by the FDA is a violation of federal law. The COVID injections are still in the investigation and experimental phase. No employer or government may force or coerce anyone to take these injections. Federal law requires full informed consent.”
