Student files lawsuit against University of Lethbridge over COVID-19 vaccine policy
Global News
A fifth-year biology student at the University of Lethbridge filed a lawsuit against the post-secondary school for its COVID-19 vaccination policy.
A student at the University of Lethbridge filed a lawsuit against the post-secondary school for its COVID-19 vaccination policy.
Hayley Nassichuk-Dean is described as a “fifth-year student… in the undergraduate biology program” who “plays on the U of L soccer team” in the lawsuit.
According to the suit, filed Dec. 7 at the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, she registered as a student for 2021-22, hoping to finish her studies by the end of the school year and then proceed with veterinary studies.
The U of L announced its vaccination policy on Aug. 17, 2021, which gave the option of regular rapid COVID-19 testing to unvaccinated people attending the campus.
However, on Sept. 13, the university joined eight other Alberta post-secondary schools (University of Alberta, University of Calgary, MacEwan University, Medicine Hat College, Mount Royal University, NAIT, SAIT and NorQuest College) in updating its vaccine policy, requiring everyone attending campus to be fully vaccinated against the disease.
Rapid testing was no longer being accepted as an alternative to vaccination, except for campus community members who could not be vaccinated based on medical or other protected grounds outlined in the Alberta Human Rights Act.
According to the lawsuit, the student “made requests for a religious exemption both to her soccer team and the U of L.”
“The applicant inquired repeatedly as to whether there was anything she could do in order to complete her program in the winter semester, including taking online classes, but she was refused,” the court documents read. “Therefore, the applicant cannot complete her studies and graduate spring of 2022.”