Judge upholds COVID-19 vaccine mandate in victory for Indiana University

Indiana University students must comply with the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for the fall semester after a federal judge refused on Monday to block the school’s inoculation requirement, one of the first rulings of its kind during the pandemic.U.S. District Court Judge Damon Leichty in South Bend, Indiana, rejected the argument by eight students that the school violated their bodily autonomy and constitutional right to due process.“This university policy isn’t forced vaccination,” wrote the judge. Exempted students must follow separate COVID-19 mitigation strategies.“Today’s ruling does not end the students’ fight — we plan to immediately appeal the judge’s decision,” states James Bopp, a conservative activist attorney who represented the students.COVID-19 vaccines have become a U.S. political flashpoint and the country has fallen short of President Joe Biden’s vaccine goals, raising concerns that life may not return to normal as the number of infections are beginning to rise.Leichty, appointed by former President Donald Trump, said had the students shown a likelihood that the university was infringing unreasonably on constitutional rights, blocking the policy would have been in the public interest.