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Parents Who Won't Vaccinate Kid Sue Catholic Preschool
By
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 29, 2009
Modified Dec 29, 2009
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Dec 29, 2009
Modified Dec 29, 2009
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A Rockland County family filed suit against the New York Archdiocese after a Catholic preschool wouldn't accept their child because she has not been fully vaccinated, according to the Post. The couple — who filed the suit anonymously — claim they are the victims of religious discrimination and are seeking a court order so their 4-year-old can attend the St. Margaret School in Pearl River after the preschool rejected their request for a religious exemption.
According to court documents, the family has "sincere and genuine religious beliefs, based upon Christian doctrine and Christian teachings that are contrary to vaccinating, that prevent them from injecting diseases into their bodies." The mother, who identifies herself as "pro-life" in an affidavit, also says she opposes vaccination because some vaccines are grown in cell cultures that were obtained from two human fetuses that were aborted in 1964 and 1970.
A spokesman for the archdiocese defended the vaccination rules, noting that "[f]or the safety and well-being of our students and school communities, we do have a policy that all students receive vaccinations. All of our parents agree to this as a condition to sending their child to one of our schools."
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