Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has issued a statement in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to vacate a lower-court ruling that denied religious protections to the Amish community in rural New York. The case involved New York imposing financial penalties on Amish-only private schools for not complying with the state’s school immunization schedule. Historically, New York had permitted religious exemptions to vaccines, but these were eliminated by lawmakers in 2019.
Attorney General Marshall stated that New York’s actions violated the First Amendment rights of parents to practice their religion and raise their children according to their beliefs. “Alabama joined this legal battle to stop New York’s hostility toward religion from becoming entrenched in federal law,” said Attorney General Marshall. “This ruling vacates a bad decision and confirms we were right to take action. While the Supreme Court did not conclusively resolve the issue of religious objections to vaccines, this victory signals to courts that they must respect the religious rights of parents. No family should be forced to choose between raising their children in their faith and accessing a basic education.”
The argument presented by Alabama and other states focused on the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, which protects against government actions that force individuals to act against their religious convictions. The brief also contended that laws like New York’s vaccine mandate are not neutral if they allow some exemptions but exclude religious ones.
The Office of the Alabama Attorney General serves as the state’s chief law enforcement agency, representing Alabama in legal matters across all counties and offering services such as consumer protection and victim support, according to its official website. Steve Marshall has served as Alabama’s forty-eighth attorney general since February 10, 2017, and his office collaborates with district attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and multistate coalitions on various issues including public safety and legal advocacy official website.
The amicus brief filed by Alabama supported Amish schools before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
