Two students at Oakland University in Michigan allege that they have faced widespread discrimination on campus after receiving a religious exception from a vaccine mandate.
Jake Yetzke and Inara Ramazanova, who are both members of Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), detailed in an emailed statement that university faculty members and students have ostracized the duo for not taking the coronavirus vaccine.
After Ramazanova shared the exemption process in an online, private Facebook group, an individual leaked the post to the university’s housing office.
Furthermore, the dean reportedly summoned Ramazanova to a hearing for “collusion or conspiracy” and prohibited the student from on-campus housing.
“Simply for informing students of a process by which they could receive a religious exemption, I was forced into a university kangaroo court and accused of conspiracy. They have since taken away my access to on-campus housing and made an example out of me to other students who simply wish to live a normal life on campus while abiding by their deeply-held religious beliefs,” said Ramazanova in an emailed statement.
Additionally, Yetzke claims to have been “denied access to many classes required for graduation and even barred from attending a performance that was needed to fulfill a graduation credit,” after receiving a religious exemption for the mandate.
“All semester, I have experienced daily discrimination from school administrators, professors, and even classmates— all because I have chosen a religious exemption from the vaccine. I have even been barred from attending events and classes which were crucial requirements for graduation, and my grades have dropped as a consequence. Tuition-paying students should not be subjected to what can really only be summed up as religious discrimination,” added Yetzke.
Previously, YAL announced that it would fight vaccine mandates on multiple college campuses and have worked to spread awareness on the issue.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
