Challenge To New York's Elimination of Religious Exemption From Vaccination Is Argued In Court

Media (such as Newsday, Gothamist, New York Law Journal) covered yesterday's oral arguments in a New York state trial court in a case challenging the constitutionality of New York's recent law that eliminated religious exemptions from vaccination requirements for school children. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a skeptic of vaccines, was one of the attorneys who argued the case for 55 families who are plaintiffs in the case.  They contend that the new law violates their religious freedom protections, and that legislators were motivated by hostility toward specific religious groups. The law was passed after an outbreak of measles in recent months. The state argued that the legislature was motivated by public health concerns.