A central Maine father is suing the superintendent of MSAD 52, which serves Turner, Greene and Leeds, and Education Commissioner Pender Makin over state school vaccination laws.
James Childs alleges in the lawsuit that his son, a rising eighth grader, is facing expulsion because he isn’t vaccinated for religious reasons.
Maine eliminated religious exemptions for school vaccinations in 2021 and only allows medical exemptions.
Idaho-based advocacy group We The Patriots USA is also a plaintiff in the suit, which alleges that Maine’s law violates the First Amendment.
The nonprofit has also filed lawsuits in California, New York and Connecticut to regain religious exemptions for school vaccinations.
The state attorney general’s office offered no comment. MSAD 52 did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.