A few weeks ago, we shared a practical guide to help parents push back against unlawful student exclusions. Our goal was simple: empower families to hold their school districts accountable and protect students from being unjustly removed from campus due to their vaccine exemption status.
Unfortunately, not every district is interested in following the law.
Some, emboldened by local health departments and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS), continue to violate the rights of students and their families—even when presented with clear legal evidence. One of the worst offenders? Seminole ISD, located in the South Plains region of Texas.
This district has repeatedly excluded students for extended periods simply because their parents lawfully opted out of the MMR vaccine. Several affected families reached out to TFVC, and we wasted no time in stepping in. Despite presenting the County Judge and ISD Superintendent with direct citations from state law and a relevant Texas Attorney General opinion, the district has refused to reverse its unlawful actions.
But we’re not backing down.
TFVC has retained expert legal counsel and is taking formal legal action on behalf of these families.
July 2025 Update:
Earlier this year, TFVC sprang into action when families in Seminole ISD reported being targeted with excessive and unjustified exclusions amid a reported measles case.
Texas law allows student exclusions only during officially declared epidemics or emergencies by the Department of State Health Services. But in this case, no such declaration was made—not in Seminole ISD, nor anywhere else in Texas.
Still, some students with legal vaccine exemptions were denied access to their classrooms during critical weeks of the spring semester.
We demanded answers from both the DSHS Commissioner and the Seminole ISD Superintendent. What we got in return: silence, stonewalling, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law. So, earlier this year, TFVC filed suit.
Recently, our team was in Gaines County, representing the impacted families during the first hearing in this case.
As we wait for the judge to rule, we want to remind our supporters: this kind of overreach won’t stop with one district or one disease. It sets a dangerous precedent for broader violations of medical rights across the state.
While TFVC is uniquely equipped to fight back, we can’t do it alone.
Taking on school districts in court is costly. Meanwhile, these institutions use taxpayer-funded attorneys to defend their unlawful actions. That’s why we’re asking for your support.
A tax-deductible donation of $250, $100, or even $50 to the TFVC Education Foundation empowers us to continue this fight—not just in Seminole, but anywhere Texans’ rights are threatened.
Your support makes legal advocacy possible. Every dollar counts, and every action matters.
