New York Amish Appeal to Supreme Court Over Vaccine Mandate Fines

The New York Amish are appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court over school vaccine mandates, following a $118,000 fine imposed by the state for enrolling unvaccinated students. The case, Miller v. McDonald, centers on whether the removal of a religious exemption to vaccination requirements violates the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause. The Amish argue the law targets religious adherents by eliminating the long-standing exemption while retaining the medical exemption.

The dispute began in 2019, after a measles outbreak—the state’s largest in nearly two decades—spread through Orthodox Jewish communities. In response, lawmakers removed the religious exemption to school vaccine requirements that had been in place since 1966, while keeping the medical exemption. The fines against three rural Amish schoolhouses followed in 2022, prompting the legal challenge.

In lower courts, the law was deemed neutral on its face, with a federal district court ruling it did not specifically target religious groups. However, the Amish plaintiffs contend the change disproportionately affects their community, as vaccination rates among New York’s Amish remain low. Hiram Sasser, counsel with First Liberty, argued that the Supreme Court’s 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor revived the precedent set by Wisconsin v. Yoder, which specifically involved the Amish.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld the state’s position, stating the requirement does not regulate what children are taught or compel them to affirm any belief. This ruling has left the Amish community in a legal and ethical limbo, as they seek to balance religious freedom with public health concerns.

Public health experts, including Cory Anderson, a Penn State researcher and Amish individual, emphasize the importance of persuasion over coercion. Anderson notes that while vaccination is rare among New York’s Amish, positions vary within the community. He points to a 2014 Ohio measles outbreak, where Amish communities collaborated with local health officials, as an example of successful public health engagement.

The case highlights the tension between individual religious rights and collective health responsibilities. As the Supreme Court considers the appeal, the outcome could have significant implications for religious exemptions and public health policy nationwide.

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