BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — Three students and a faculty member are suing Bowling Green State University over the school’s COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandate.
The civil lawsuit asserts that BGSU has exceeded its authority to require the health measures for individuals who are not diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have not come into contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.
The lawsuit goes on to say the rights of students and faculty to refuse medical treatment are violated by the school’s mandate.
Bowling Green offers exemptions to their vaccine requirement but still requires masks in indoor settings and requires regular testing for unvaccinated individuals.
A lawyer representing the students and faculty member says the FDA hasn't given full approval for any of the coronavirus vaccines - which makes the vaccine mandate at BGSU illegal.
"Ohio has a law that requires that you cannot treat students who are not vaccinated any different than the vaccinated students unless there is an authorized vaccine available," said attorney Warner Mendenhall.
The lawsuit cites different provisions of Ohio's revised code as well as the state constitution.
Mendenhall’s firm has also filed lawsuits on behalf of students and faculty members at Ohio University, Miami University, and the University of Cincinnati.
On Saturday, WTOL 11 received a response from BGSU’s Deputy Chief of Staff and University Spokesperson, Alex Solis regarding the lawsuit:
“As the University has done since the onset of this global pandemic, we continue to implement public health measures to manage COVID-19. Recognizing the effectiveness of vaccines, BGSU offered a balanced vaccination and exemption program for all students, faculty and staff. The University’s goal remains doing its part to ensure the health and safety of our community, and BGSU has no further comment regarding this litigation at this time.”
You can read the full text of the lawsuit here: