Parents threaten to sue UConn over COVID-19 vaccine mandate

A parental-rights nonprofit and families of UConn students are demanding that the university roll back its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, which was instituted earlier this month.

Ryan P. McLane, an attorney representing The Family Freedom Endeavor and “dozens” of UConn students and their parents, sent a letter last week to interim university president Dr. Andrew Agwunobi and outgoing president Thomas Katsouleas requesting that the university “withdraw the current vaccine mandate.”

If the university does not revoke its mandate by July 2, McLane warned, the group will “litigate this issue in order to prevent the irreparable harm to their rights and potentially their physical selves.” The Family Freedom Endeavor, a Florida-based nonprofit incorporated last month, describes its work as “fighting for the rights of individuals and the family over government-imposed regulations and restrictions.”

UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said in a statement that the university’s polling of students “found the vast majority said they are willing and want to receive the vaccine, and would support such a policy.”

Across the country, hundreds of colleges and universities have announced vaccine requirements for students returning to campus this fall, while other institutions have encouraged — but not mandated — vaccination.

The UConn Board of Trustees voted in early June that it would require students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall semester. Yale University, the University of Hartford, Wesleyan University and the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system have also announced vaccination requirements for the upcoming semester. Albertus Magnus College in New Haven announced Tuesday that it would require mandatory vaccinations for all students, faculty and staff who will be on campus this fall.

The requirements have sparked a backlash, with a number of lawsuits already cropping up against mandatory vaccination policies at colleges and universities. One lawsuit filed this month against Indiana University argues that its vaccine mandate violates students’ constitutional rights; another filed recently against the California State University system by students who have recovered from COVID-19 argues that getting vaccinated would endanger the students’ health.

At UConn, Agwunobi told the university community in a June 4 message that the goal of the university’s vaccination mandate is “to help safeguard health and wellness on our campuses and in our communities by reducing the risk that the virus will be transmitted and cause illness, particularly in high-density congregant settings such as residence halls, dining halls, and classrooms.”

The policy also “allows students to apply for exemptions, including for medical and other reasons,” Agwunobi added.

Students with qualifying exemptions will be asked to adhere to certain health and safety protocols, including participating in regular COVID-19 testing and wearing masks in certain situations.

As of early June, more than 60% of Storrs residential students were partially or fully vaccinated, according to the university’s official vaccination rate.

Eliza Fawcett can be reached at elfawcett@courant.com.