Application for restraining order against Rutgers vax warrant dismissed

A request for a restraining order against Rutgers University’s vaccination warrant is the latest to survive a court challenge.

Adriana Pinto, one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Rutgers filed by Children’s Health Defense, has sought the injunction while the lawsuit is being considered because as an unvaccinated “totally distant student” she does not pose a threat to students on campus, according to Law360 .com.

U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi ruled against the request because the course Pinto is taking is not officially considered distant and Pinto’s promise not to be on campus is not sufficient to justify the request. ‘ordinance, according to Law360.com. The judge also took into account the risk to public health.

“The public interest in preventing COVID-19, a virus that has claimed the lives of many New Jersey residents, will not be served if this court bars Rutgers from applying the policy,” Quraishi wrote in his comment. decision, according to Law360.com.

Rutgers was the first major college in the United States to announce an immunization mandate for students returning to campus for the fall semester. Almost every college in New Jersey and across the country has announced a similar policy.

The student lawsuits were dismissed by judges, and the United States Supreme Court dismissed without explanation a request for an emergency order filed by students at Indiana University.

“Since the university announced the COVID-19 vaccine requirement in March 2021, we have stated that our position on vaccines is in line with the legal authority supporting this policy,” the Rutgers spokesperson said, Dory Devlin, New Jersey 101.5. “We remain committed to creating a safe campus environment and supporting the health and safety of all members of the Rutgers community, the university has updated its existing immunization requirements for students and many employees to include the COVID-19 vaccine. “

The lawsuit filed by an anti-vaccine group founded in 2016 by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argues that the Rutgers mandate violates the 14th Amendment denies students their right to refuse unwanted medical procedures.

NJ.com was the first to report the judge’s ruling on the restraining order.

Earlier reports from Eric Scott were used in this report.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at [email protected] or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ