A federal judge in New York has issued a preliminary injunction allowing a Starpoint middle school student to remain in school despite lacking a required vaccine due to a medical exemption. The ruling, which is considered a first-of-its-kind decision, clarifies that school medical directors cannot overrule licensed physicians when it comes to medical exemptions. The student’s doctor had determined that the required vaccine for Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis could harm the student due to an existing neurological condition.
Historic win for medical exemption to vaccination in New York!
Michael Kane, August 13, 2025
Today over 200 people came to the Eastern District federal courthouse in Long Island to support Sarah Doe. Sarah was kicked out of school after 7 valid medical exemptions to vaccination were denied by Oceanside school district, as reported by Daily Wire.
But today in court Sarah won!
Her attorney Sujata Gibson was phenomenal, arguing in the courtroom relentlessly for over an hour. I was absolutely stunned when the judge ruled directly from the bench and ordered an emergency preliminary injunction to allow Sarah back to school this September. That is something that almost never happens in federal court!
News Coverage and Clips
News 12 Long Island covered the story in an extremely positive light. You can watch a brief clip of that coverage on X here
Watch video from CHD showing Sarah exit the courthouse and her attorney Sujata Gibson explain how historic this day in court was here
You can also watch Sarah Doe make brief statements in front of the courthouse after her victory here
She Listened To Doctors About Which Vaccines To Get. Her School Kicked Her Out.
‘What these school districts are doing is flat-out discriminatory and dangerous.’
Thank you to Daily Wire for covering the tragic story of “Sarah Doe,” a Long Island teen who is too ill to be vaccinated and was illegally kicked out of her high school.
7 doctors said she may die if she’s vaccinated. Guess that’s not enough “experts” for this deranged school district!
I was in the courtroom with Sarah and her family when the judge looked her in the eyes and told her she could not return to school, and she broke down in tears.
But instead of rolling over Sarah got active. She lobbied for change in Albany, NY with hundreds of medical freedom fighters. She went to DC when MAHA Institute invited her to tell her story. That’s where her and her mother made the connections that led to this Daily Wire report.
God bless Sarah and her mother Jane for having the courage to stand up and fight for justice. I know what it’s like to be kicked out of a school over a shot, and I stand with Sarah and everyone like her.
And God bless Children’s Health Defense for backing Sujata Gibson as Sarah’s attorney.
Read the full report here: https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-school-bans-student-for-following-doctors-vaccine-advice-now-shes-fighting-back
Children’s Health Defense Supports Student Fighting to Get Back to School After Religious and Medical Vaccine Exemptions Denied
Press Release
For Immediate Release
August 8, 2025
A student referred to as “Sarah Doe,” in court filings has been barred from her school in Oceanside, NY after seven valid medical exemptions her parents provided to the school were all denied. Sarah – who is missing only one Hepatitis-B shot – cannot find a physician to provide further vaccines because of prior adverse reactions. Plaintiffs in the case, *Doe v. Oceanside Unified School District, et al.,* have filed for a temporary restraining order with arguments scheduled for Tuesday, August 12 in the Long Island Federal Courthouse. This case has been featured in Daily Wire as well as in The Defender.
A recent Supreme Court ruling may have given this case new legal traction. SCOTUS ruled in Mahmoud v. Taylor that a parent’s rights to religious liberty in a school setting cannot be ignored. Any religious liberty concern on the part of parents must be viewed through the lens of strict scrutiny, meaning there can’t be a general, blanket rule that applies to everyone the same way. Each parental concern must be analyzed on an individual basis. While the Mahmoud case was dealing with LGBTQ+ content being taught to children, attorney for the plaintiffs Sujata Gibson says this clearly also applies to sincerely held religious beliefs regarding vaccination.
“The Mahmoud ruling is a landmark victory for parental rights and religious liberty,” said Gibson. “Among other things, it ensures that sincerely held religious beliefs, including those concerning vaccination, must be given the highest level of protection under strict scrutiny. This decision empowers parents to safeguard their children’s education and well-being in alignment with their faith.”
Sarah had a religious exemption to vaccination until 2019, when New York State abolished non-medical exemptions, forcing Sarah and her family to choose between their faith or Sarah’s education. The family reluctantly vaccinated their daughter on an expedited schedule which led to multiple injuries and medical conditions for their daughter, some of which are still not explained or understood well by any of Sarah’s doctors.
Sarah and her family seek an emergency ruling that will allow her back in school pending resolution of the lawsuit. A central question in this motion is whether Mahmoud requires schools to provide religious accommodation from vaccines. The federal judge presiding in the Doe case recently informed counsel that he expects all parties to be ready to present oral arguments, which will be happening on Tuesday August 12, 2025 at 2:00 pm at 100 Federal Plaza in Central Islip, NY.
