Milford Christian Church, et al. v. Bye
On March 1, 2023, Connecticut demanded that Milford Christian Church compel children at its daycare ministry, Little Eagles, to receive vaccinations that violate their religious beliefs or expel the children. If it did not comply, the state warned, Connecticut would shut down Little Eagles.
Milford Christian Church filed a First Amendment lawsuit to protect its and its members’ religious liberty.
Current Status Of The Case:
Appeal pending from the district court’s dismissal of the case. Connecticut currently is not enforcing the law against Milford Christian Church.
Court:
The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The case is Milford Christian Church, et al. v. Beth Bye, No. 25-1955
Attorneys:
Background And Case:
In April 2021, Connecticut repealed its religious exemption to its school and daycare vaccination requirements. Even though Connecticut’s school vaccination rates exceed the 95% herd immunity threshold recommended by virtually every health organization in the world, Connecticut legislators engaged in fear mongering to blame conscientious objectors for a speculative risk of disease outbreaks. The result was that Connecticut required every school and daycare – be it public, private, or religious – to require vaccination as a condition of admittance.
Religious objections to vaccinations are not fringe beliefs. Many Christians cannot receive them because of the use of cell lines artificially derived from electively aborted fetuses in vaccination development. Jews and Muslims cannot receive vaccinations without violating their faith’s prohibition on consuming pork because porcine gelatine is often used in vaccinations. Those who are religiously vegan cannot receive vaccinations without violating their religious beliefs about consuming animal products. Many members of various faiths also believe that the contaminants contained in vaccinations would pollute their bodies, which must be kept pure in accordance with their faith.
Connecticut, however, left these families with no options to educate and care for their children.
This lawsuit aims to restore the religious exemption to school and daycare vaccination requirements in Connecticut. To some extent, it has already been successful. Connecticut admitted in filings before the district court in this case that it has no authority to enforce the vaccination requirement against private K-12 schools, which leaves them free to accept religious exemptions. Connecticut has also not enforced the vaccination requirement against Little Eagles since this case began.
Thus, Little Eagles remains a rare beacon of hope for Connecticut families.
What’s At Stake?:
Religious freedom has been a foundational value of America. The Founding Fathers left no doubt about that when they adopted the First Amendment to provide strong protections for religious liberty.
The First Amendment’s promise of religious freedom to all will ring hollow if Connecticut prevails in this lawsuit. Conscientious objectors will have limited opportunities to educate and care for their children, and their children will enter adulthood at a distinct educational disadvantage to their peers unless they and their parents abandon their religious beliefs.
A legal victory for Connecticut will also set the stage for society-wide vaccination mandates with no regard for anyone’s religious beliefs. Connecticut’s power to protect public health does not give it free reign to violate the First Amendment though.
Victory for Milford Christian Church will restore religious liberty and equality to thousands of families across Connecticut and New York who have been outlawed from our society. The very survival of religious liberty is at stake in this lawsuit.
How Can You Help?:
The Bottom Line:
Connecticut’s refusal to accommodate diverse religious beliefs and irrational attempt to exclude conscientious objectors from any form of education or care violates the First Amendment and must be declared unconstitutional.