Photo by Ed Us/Unsplash/Creative Commons (RNS) — The Ninth District Court of Appeals on Sunday (Nov. 28) temporarily blocked San Diego Unified School District’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate from taking effect, one day before students were required to have their first dose. This move comes after a 16-year-old high school student sued the school district , claiming religious discrimination over vaccine mandates. The San Diego Unified School District Board of Education on Sept. 28 voted in favor of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations that required employees and students 16 and older to be fully inoculated by Dec. 20 in order to attend school in person. Daily religion news, straight to your inbox. Subscribe today. The court on Sunday ruled in favor of the student’s request for emergency injunctive relief, preventing the district vaccine mandate from taking effect Nov. 29. The judge, Sandra Ikuta, said she concurred in granting the student’s emergency motion as long as other vaccine deferrals were still accepted — such as for pregnant students. The injunction will be in effect “until the San Diego Unified School District ceases to treat any students (not just pregnant students) seeking relief from the vaccination mandate for secular reasons more favorably than students […]
