Connecticut Court Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Vaccine Mandate Religious Exemptions

A Connecticut Superior Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by parents seeking to restore religious exemptions for school vaccine mandates. Judge Edward Krumeich ruled that the state’s elimination of these exemptions does not violate the Connecticut Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). This decision concludes four years of legal challenges following the state's 2021 legislative move to remove religious opt-outs for immunizations.

The plaintiffs, Keira Spillane and Anna Kehle, argued that the mandates forced them to violate their religious beliefs regarding the sanctity of life and the purity of their children's bodies, citing concerns over the use of fetal cell lines and animal-derived components in vaccine development. They contended that the state law infringed upon their rights under the Connecticut Constitution and the U.S. Constitution.

State officials, including Attorney General William Tong, maintained that the vaccine requirements are essential for public health. The court’s ruling follows a 2024 Connecticut Supreme Court decision that had already dismissed the plaintiffs' constitutional claims, leaving only the RFRA argument to be resolved by the lower court.