Students Sue UMass Over Coronavirus Vaccination Requirements

BOSTON — Students at the Boston and Lowell campuses of the University of Massachusetts filed federal lawsuits Friday, challenging the schools' coronavirus vaccination requirements.

In their complaint, UMass-Boston student Cora Cluett and UMass-Lowell student Hunter Harris say the rules requiring students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before they enroll violate their constitutional rights. Like most other Massachusetts universities and colleges, UMass is requiring students — but not faculty — to get vaccinated by the start of the fall semester.

Both students say their 14th Amendment rights are being violated because they "have an individual, fundamental right to refuse medical treatment." Cluett is also arguing her First Amendment right to freedom of religion is being violated. Cluett "has a sincerely held religious belief that precludes her fromtaking the mandated vaccine," according to the complaint.

Cluett is Catholic. The school rejected her religious exemption claim because the Catholic Church has no prohibitions against the vaccine. Vatican officials, including Pope Francis, have been urging Catholics to get vaccinated.

A similar lawsuit by a New England Law student was dismissed earlier this month. In that case, the judge ruled the student agreed to follow the school's policies when enrolling and had signed a form agreeing to the school's COVID-19 policies, including the requirement to get vaccinated.