TRI In The News
WV Mother Challenging Law to Protect Child
7/29/2011
TRI IN THE NEWS: WV MOTHER CHALLENGING LAW TO PROTECT CHILD
From One News Now
Original article available here.
The Rutherford Institute is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of a mother whose request to exempt her child from required vaccinations based on her religion was denied.
West Virginia law requires children to be vaccinated before they attend public school. But the mother in this case was fearful of what the vaccination would do to her child.
"Jennifer Workman had an older child who had autism, which she tied to a vaccination," explains John Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "She did not want her younger child being forced to be vaccinated because she was fearful the child would get autism as well."
Workman's religious beliefs come into play because, as a Christian, she believes she should take any steps necessary to protect her children. Whitehead sees this as an important case that could set a legal precedent.
"I think it's a very important case," he notes. "It essentially borders on two things: parental rights -- how far ... parents, in their concern, can [go to] protect their children. And as most people who have studied the subject know, autism has been tied to vaccines. There [are] arguments on both sides; there [are] studies on both sides."
Whitehead believes there is a good chance the U. S. Supreme Court will hear the case because of split decisions between circuit courts of appeals that need to be resolved.
