What’s worse than being forced to get a vaccine you may not want to take and being promised that you won’t have to wear a mask any longer once you comply? The goal-post moving every time you do what you are told with a never-ending finish line in sight. This is what students at Washington and Lee University have faced throughout the academic year thus far.
With the semester starting and 99% of the student body being forcibly vaccinated, faculty at the university decided to use the newly formed Omicron variant to further push their tyrannical mandates. With masks being required once again in all facilities, even the cafeteria, and “highly recommended” in students’ PERSONAL living areas, school administrators decided that was not enough, and the COVID booster shot will now be required to remain enrolled at the university.
In an email that was sent to all undergraduate and law students at Washington and Lee University, the administration stated that all students will have until February 18th to receive their boosters without penalty of being dropped from their Spring classes. This sudden and non-scientific requirement directly contradicts the Virginia governor’s regulation that does not allow public schools to impose such measures, leading to the question, why are private schools not made to adhere to the same laws? In response to this email, the law students created a petition against forced injections for all students willing to sign.
Meanwhile, Washington and Lee University is actively working to suppress anyone who voices opposition to their unsupported sanctions and policies determined by a ‘COVID committee’ made up of one doctor and 16 non-medical administrators. One brave undergraduate student, Kamron Spivey, said that “Few conservatives feel safe enough to speak out, and those of us who do face an unrelenting backlash from radical peers, faculty, and staff. And many of those students succumb to the pressure and transfer from this institution.”
Not only are they silencing students who do not wish to participate in the latest round of “big pharma donations,” Washington and Lee University is making it incredibly difficult for a Turning Point USA chapter to be established on campus. Without a faculty sponsor for the club, it is impossible to be seen as an official organization, and with the draconian measures administrators are enforcing, there are no brave faculty members willing to support the undergraduates. But conservative students are not backing down, and Turning Point USA, along with Washington and Lee University alumni, are working tirelessly with our student activists to combat these biased rules and regulations against unboosted tuition-paying students.
Elizabeth Hertzberg is the unofficial Turning Point USA chapter president at Washington and Lee University (the chapter is chartered within the national organization but not the university itself). She has said, “There is a tremendous amount of gaslighting. We’ve made no progress this year, despite all the requirements and even the adherence to the endless and ever-changing rules. I completely applaud my student body for having virtually no cases —I know we have done the right thing despite the oppression and silence from our leaders. Most of the students here are athletes; we have a vested interest in our health. We are team players, trained to overcome adversity. We jump over bars, hurdles, and pass through literal hoops every day in training. However, placating the administration with ever-increasing mandates is a long-distance track I don’t think will ever truly end.”
As students who go against the committee’s narrative are ostracized by professors and administrators, faculty have been coercing students to take the injection by offering an extensive all-expense paid ticket package to the oldest college ball in the country at Washington and Lee University or a similar amount to be credited to the school store. This unethical bribery to inject an experimental gene therapy not only seems possibly illegal but also extremely politically motivated, biased, and immoral nonetheless.
These actions implemented by Washington and Lee University are downright nonsensical, unfair, & unethical. It is crucial that students continue to fight back and make their voices heard when dealing with these private schools to ensure their rights and freedoms do not get taken away anymore. We at Turning Point USA HQ support you and will continue to help fight this battle to protect your medical freedom!
