A court battle over athletes at Western Michigan University having the right to refuse a mandated vaccine has reached a conclusion with a settlement. An injunction has been issued by Federal District Court Judge Paul L. Maloney to allow the sixteen athletes to continue playing intercollegiate sports while refusing the Covid-19 vaccine.
A prior injunction had also been upheld with the opinion reading that the athlete’s First Amendment rights were being violated as they objected to the vaccine requirement on religious grounds.
Western Michigan University will have to pay the legal fees of the students and allow them to play with no requirement to be vaccinated, but the athletes will have to abide by testing and masking protocols.
The suit was filed on behalf of the athletes by the Great Lakes Justice Center, which is a non-profit focused on First Amendment cases.
David A. Kallman, Senior Counsel with GLJC, said, “We are pleased that WMU has agreed to resolve this matter, that our clients’ religious convictions were vindicated, and that they can continue to be part of their teams, be with their teammates, and compete for WMU at the highest level in a safe manner.”
Reporting for WGRT – Jennie McClelland
