Rutgers' Vaccine Mandate Will Stay In Place, Judge Rules

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — The Rutgers University vaccine mandate was upheld by a federal judge on Monday, after an anti-vaccination group and several students sued the school.

The restraining order against Rutgers University's mandate was denied without prejudice, a courthouse official confirmed.

Judge Zahid Quraishi wrote in his opinion that the Children's Health Defense Fund and students who filed a federal lawsuit against Rutgers University "cannot show the public interest is served if the court issued the order," according to the New Jersey Herald.

"In fact, the public may likely be harmed if the court were to do so. Specifically, it would place the health and safety of others inside and out of Rutgers’ community at risk," Quraishi said. "Given that many students around campuses are returning to in-person classes this semester and the considerable size of Rutgers’ student population, were this court to grant injunctive relief, thousands of students may possibly be at risk."

The lawsuit was filed on Aug. 16 arguing that the school's coronavirus vaccine requirement is unconstitutional and violates their right to medical privacy.

READ MORE: Rutgers Sued By Students, Anti-Vax Group For Vaccine Mandate

Rutgers spokeswoman Dory Devlin said back in May that the mandate was meant to create "a safe campus environment in fall 2021."

"The university's position on vaccines is consistent with the legal authority supporting this policy," Devlin said.

Anti-vaccination group Children's Health Defense President Mary Holland argued that the mandate undermined the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by denying students the freedom to make their own medical decision.

"No one should be forced or coerced into accepting any medical procedure against their wishes. When the low risk to young adults from COVID and the known and unknown risks from the vaccines are taken into account, Rutgers' actions recklessly endanger its students," Holland said.

Rutgers was the first college in America to mandate the vaccine in March. Since then, hundreds of schools have followed suit, including Princeton, Harvard, Stanford and the University of Michigan.

READ MORE: Rutgers Freezes Accounts Of Several Non-Vaccinated Students

Since the beginning of the school year, Rutgers has frozen the accounts of several non-vaccinated students.

The university said that more than 98 percent of undergrads have complied with its mandate and upload their coronavirus vaccine card.

Additional reporting by Carly Baldwin