A judge has dismissed a lawsuit claiming that Kalamazoo College’s vaccination policy violated a student’s freedom of religion.
Eighteen-year-old incoming student Cameron Daly was recruited for the college’s soccer team. However, he said he was not allowed to join pre-season training because he does not have the required vaccines. He claimed that he should be exempt because of his religious beliefs.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan denied Daly’s motion. The ruling found that the vaccine policy applies to students of all religious backgrounds. It also said it’s not clear Daly applied for an exemption, which K grants on a case-by-case basis.
J. Malcolm Smith, Dean of Students at the school, declined to say how many exemptions the college grants, or what factors into the decision to allow one.
“Our decision to have a policy and to enforce this policy is made based on the safety of our college community, as well as our genuine appreciation for the variety of health and religious backgrounds of our students,” said Smith.
Smith said the school is open to working with Daly to find a solution.
“We truly were looking forward to Cameron being here and still are thinking about that possibility,” said Smith. “And we look forward to hopefully communicating directly with Cameron about his future plans.”
Daly’s attorney could not be reached for comment.