Full Breakdown
Amish Challenge New York Vaccine Mandate: Supreme Court Review
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Supreme Court Petition
Several Amish individuals and the private schools that serve them have filed a petition with the United States Supreme Court asking the Court to reverse a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. The appellate court upheld New York State’s 2019 repeal of the religious exemption for school vaccine mandates, allowing the state to require Amish schoolchildren to be vaccinated to attend their own schools. The petition argues that the requirement violates the plaintiffs’ sincerely held religious beliefs and could force the community to leave the state.
Background & Context
For more than five decades, New York granted religious exemptions to its school immunization requirements, a policy that accommodated the Amish, who have educated their children in private, vaccine-free schools for centuries. In 2019 the state legislature repealed the exemption, citing declining immunization rates and a measles outbreak in New York City. The state says the mandate is intended to prevent disease outbreaks and protect public health.
Timeline
- 2019 – New York repeals the religious exemption for school vaccine mandates.
- 2022 – State officials begin enforcement actions against Amish schools that do not vaccinate.
- 2025 – The Supreme Court remands the case to the Second Circuit for reconsideration in light of *Mahmoud v. Taylor*; the circuit again rules against the Amish.
- 2024-2025 – Amish plaintiffs file a new petition with the Supreme Court seeking reversal of the appellate decision.
Data & Statistics
- The Young Center estimates that more than 25,000 Amish reside in New York, the state’s fifth-largest Amish population.
- Only five states nationwide lack a religious exemption for school vaccine mandates.
- The petition alleges that New York’s enforcement could affect up to 100,000 “non-compliant” students statewide.
Official Statements & Responses
The organization argues that the mandate threatens the community’s ability to practice its faith in the state.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For decades, New York had a religious exemption for their vaccine mandate that they had on the books, and it protected the Amish who've been there for over 200 years,” — Hiram Sasser, liberty institute attorney
- “The state’s responsibility is to protect public health, keep New Yorkers and their families safe and enforce the law fairly and equitably. While we cannot comment on pending litigation, the department is committed to eliminating serious illness and unnecessary deaths caused by vaccine-preventable diseases.” — New York Department
- “The Amish desire to be left alone and practice their religion in peace, as they have done for nearly two centuries in New York,” — Aaron Siri, one of the attorneys representing the plaintiffs
What's Next
The Supreme Court has not set a briefing or argument schedule for the petition. The Court’s decision on whether to hear the case, and any subsequent ruling, will determine whether New York’s vaccine mandate remains enforceable against Amish schools or whether the religious exemption will be restored.