University Of Minnesota Student Sues School Over Vaccine Mandate

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — A University of Minnesota student from Duluth has filed a lawsuit that seeks to block the school from implementing a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on campus next week, according to reports.

The 20-year-old student, who is not named, maintains that he feels safe after he tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this year, according to a report Thursday from Minnesota Public Radio. The student said in the suit that he does not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine based on the grounds of "conscientiously held, but not specifically religious beliefs,” the report said.

The student is enrolled at the university's Duluth campus, and the suit was filed in St. Louis County. School officials told media outlets it has not yet be served with the lawsuit and has not seen the details of the suit.

School officials did, however, say that they are confident "in the operational decisions we made regarding vaccinations for our community. Our actions reflect the high priority we place on creating the safest, healthiest possible campus environment for our students, faculty and staff," the Minnesota Public Radio report said.

University of Minnesota President Joan Gabel and other school officials announced in August that students on the university’s five campuses around the state would be required to be vaccinated. But the policy allowed for religious and medical exemptions.

The mandate requires all UM students to be vaccinated by Oct. 8 and, if they are not, they would not be eligible to enroll in future classes

The lawsuit maintains that the university does not have the authority to add the COVID-19 vaccination to a list of state-sanctioned vaccines, the report said.

The student lawsuit is the second brought this week regarding COVID-19 vaccinations.

On Monday, at least 180 health care workers across the state sued the Mayo Clinic, Fairview Health Services, University of Minnesota Physicians, Regions Hospital, and other Minnesota hospitals over vaccine mandates.

That lawsuit claims the vaccine mandates enforced by those institutions violate religious freedoms and other laws.