Universities will have more tools to protect their campuses from the coronavirus pandemic after a new ruling by Judge Damon R. Leichty of the U.S. District Court for Northern Indiana.
"In what appeared to be the first ruling upholding a coronavirus vaccine mandate by a university, a federal judge affirmed on Monday that Indiana University could require that its students be vaccinated against the virus," The New York Timesreported Monday. "A lawyer for eight student plaintiffs had argued that requiring the vaccine violated their right to bodily integrity and autonomy, and that the coronavirus vaccines have only emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration, and should not be considered as part of the normal range of vaccinations schools require."
Leichty was nominated by Trump in 2018 to become a federal judge.
Attorney James Bopp, Jr. has vowed to appeal the ruling.
"He said that the appeal would be paid for by America's Frontline Doctors, a conservative organization that has been pursuing an anti-vaccine agenda. Mr. Bopp, of Terre Haute, Ind., is known for his legal advocacy promoting conservative causes," the newspaper reported.
Bopp is known for his legal attacks on campaign finance legislation.
The newspaper noted about 400 campuses have mandated vaccinations.
