The judge was appointed by Trump.
QUICK FACTS:
- Trump appointed federal judge for the US District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Judge Terry A. Doughty, struck down the mandatory mask and vaccine requirements for schools.
- The judge ruled that the federal government cannot require Head Start program teachers, staff, or volunteers to be vaccinated.
- Doughtry also ruled that they cannot require adults or students to wear masks while on school grounds.
- “Louisiana teacher Sandy Brick has been serving her students through adversity and uncertainty the last two years. Today, this decision vindicates her right to teach without sacrificing her freedom,” Sarah Harbison, general counsel at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy said.
JUDGE’S RULING:
- Trump appointee said that “the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines … The public interest is served by maintaining the constitutional structure and maintaining the liberty of individuals who do not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine.”
- “This interest outweighs Agency Defendants’ interests,” the judge went on. “The public has a liberty interest in not being required to take a vaccine or be fired from their jobs. The public interest must be taken into account before allowing Agency Defendants to mandate vaccines. Although vaccines arguably serve the public interest, the liberty interests of individuals mandated to take the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh any interest generated by the mandatory administration of vaccines.”
BACKGROUND:
- The lawsuit was filed last December by Louisiana teacher Sandy Brick who wished to stop the mandates, according to her representation at the Liberty Justice Center.
- The United States government can appeal Doughty’s ruling at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, however, which could spell trouble for the administration since that is where the courts previously blocked the Biden admin’s vaccine mandate for private businesses.
