Six cadets at the Merchant Marine Academy on Long Island have filed a lawsuit against the academy and the federal government over the college's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, claiming it violates their constitutional right to due process.
The academy mandated that all cadets be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by December 28, or they face getting kicked out of school. The mandate has no exceptions for mask-wearing or weekly tests.
The students alleged that school officials have threatened that unvaccinated students could be forced to pay back their federally-funded tuition. The lawsuit claimed the students are in a unique position because their credits are not transferable to other universities.
Several other lawsuits challenging vaccine mandates at colleges are currently working their way through the courts.
