MERIDIAN, Idaho, Feb. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A lawsuit funded by the nonprofit organization We the Patriots USA was filed today in Ada County District Court by a local attorney D Colton Boylesagainst New Horizon Academy in Meridian, Idaho, for allegedly evicting a child from its daycare after the parent claimed a religious exception to the daycare’s immunization requirements. The complaint alleges that New Horizon refuses to accept exemptions from vaccinations for children other than medical exemptions, even though state laws allow such exemptions for children in daycare.

According to the complaint, Idaho Code § 39-1118(2), the relevant portion reads: “Any minor child whose parent or guardian has provided daycare officials with a signed statement stating their objections on religious or other grounds , is exempt from the provisions of this section [requiring certain vaccinations for children in daycare settings].'” In addition to reinstatement of the child with New Horizon and attorneys’ fees for the plaintiff mother, the lawsuit seeks a court order requiring New Horizon to accept any religious or other immunization waivers filed by its customers and give them the Expulsion prohibited any student based on an exemption request.

We, Patriots USA co-founder and attorney Brian Festa, released a statement regarding the filing early Wednesday: “Idaho has some of the strictest vaccination exemption laws in the entire country. We believe that day care centers in Idaho are clearly required by state law to accept exception requests from parents for religious or other reasons. Neither New Horizon nor any other day care center in Idaho has the authority to make policies that are contrary to state law. This case also has significant national ramifications because if this persists in Idaho, then there’s nothing wrong with opening daycares or schools in other states like Texas, Florida or…