Due to religious beliefs, Krystle Perry says she does not vaccinate her daughter.
It’s been an upsetting experience for seven-year-old Kendall, who is not allowed to return to Upshur County virtual school due to being unvaccinated.
The state of West Virginia only allows medical exemptions for mandated school vaccines.
“I feel as her parent I should be able to have the decisions to whether she has the vaccinations or not,” said Perry. “It should be up to me, not up to the state of West Virginia or the board of education.”
Kendall’s aunt, Barbara Maynor says the board of education is denying the seven-year-old her constitutional rights, adding they have freedom of religion and are being discriminated against because of their beliefs.
“Even though she doesn’t go in school, she still gets to interact with children and a teacher and she deserves that right,” said Maynor of Beckley. “She should not be denied an education.”
They are going to home-school Kendall for the rest of the year until they can figure out what to do.
“My sister’s contacted multiple attorneys but my sister is low-income and their secretary said the lawyer wouldn’t take that case. The West Virginia State Bar nobody will help. And she’s contacted Legal Aid,” Maynor said.
Perry is concerned this is not just affecting her daughter but other children across the state.
“I want the law to pass to where any kid could attend virtual school, whether they’re not up to date on their vaccines or got all their vaccines,” she said. “I feel like that should be their choice.”
The sisters say they can’t get any help and feel living in a small town they’re just forgotten.
“My sister even contacted the Fayette County Board of Education about books and different things for my niece for home school and they told her she was on her own,” said Maynor. “We’re gonna keep fighting, and even for children we don’t know anything about. There’s a lot of people in this state that have beliefs and we have a right to those.”
