Virginia Tech KICKS OUT 134 students who failed to comply with its compulsory vaccine mandate or present an exemption
- Virginia Tech disenrolled 134 students who failed to submit proof of vaccination
- It comes as debate over vaccine mandates heats up across the country
- Universities in some states are requiring all students to the the shots
- In Texas and Florida, publicly funded universities are banned from mandates
- Controversy has sparked a number of lawsuits and legal challenges
Virginia Tech has disenrolled more than 100 students who failed to submit COVID-19 vaccination documentations, university officials said on Tuesday.
Out of about 37,000 Virginia Tech students expected when classes began last week, 134 have been disenrolled for failing to submit their proof of vaccination or exemption documents, university spokesman Mark Owczarski told the Roanoke Times.
It comes just days after the University of Virginia kicked out 238 students for failure to comply with the school's vaccination requirements, though of those the school says only 48 were enrolled for fall classes.
As students at all levels return to the classroom for fall semester, the debate over vaccination and mask mandates is heating up across the country.
![Virginia Tech disenrolled 134 students who failed to prove vaccination status. Students of the university are seen above during move-in week last month](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/04/47355845-9945723-image-a-74_1630466968840.jpg)
Virginia Tech disenrolled 134 students who failed to prove vaccination status. Students of the university are seen above during move-in week last month
At Western Michigan University, four female soccer players sued the school for threatening to kick them off the team if they don't get vaccinated, saying the mandate violates their religious beliefs.
In several states including Texas and Florida, Republican governors have banned government vaccine mandates, including at publicly funded universities.
Those executive orders are now under legal challenges, with opponents arguing that school vaccine mandates are necessary in a congregate setting, as the highly infectious Delta variant drives a surge of infections.
In California and New York, meanwhile, nearly all public and private universities require students to get vaccinated. In New York, public universities cannot even allow for religious exemptions, while a majority of the state’s private universities can.
Most universities already require proof of routine vaccinations such as measles, mumps and rubella in order to enroll in classes.
In August, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett rejected a plea for urgent relief from a group of Indiana University students who claimed that the school's vaccine mandate was unconstitutional.
Meanwhile in elementary schools and high schools, debate has been raging over mask mandates, particularly in Florida, where several school districts have defied Governor Ron DeSantis' order banning the mandates.
At Virginia Tech, the school set an August 6 deadline for students to upload proof of vaccination to in order maintain their class schedule and housing selection after announcing the requirement in June.
![The school requires all those with an approved vaccine exemption for medical or religious reasons to submit to mandatory weekly testing in accordance with state guidelines. The school updates its dashboard with the results](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/04/47355843-9945723-image-a-77_1630466985128.jpg)
The school requires all those with an approved vaccine exemption for medical or religious reasons to submit to mandatory weekly testing in accordance with state guidelines. The school updates its dashboard with the results
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/14/47373637-9945723-image-a-1_1630502335754.jpg)
The university requires all students to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to return for the fall semester, unless they provide a medical or religious exemption. Classes began on August 23.
It is unknown whether the students did not provide their vaccination status because of an objection to the mandate, or because they were planning to leave their studies for another reason.
School spokesman Owczarski told Fox 8: 'The university does not know whether any of these students were not planning to return for reasons unrelated to the COVID-19 vaccine requirement.'
Owczarski added that attempts have been made to contact the 134 students, and they are welcome to reenroll at the university if they provide their vaccine documents.
Roughly 95 per cent of the 37,000 students enrolled at Virginia Tech say they are vaccinated.
Eighty-eight per cent of the university's employees are reportedly vaccinated. As of August 19, the school shifted its views and is now requiring all employees to become vaccinated by October 1, regardless if they are working remotely or not.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/14/47373633-9945723-image-a-2_1630502344227.jpg)
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/14/47373635-9945723-image-a-3_1630502353476.jpg)
The school requires all those with an approved vaccine exemption for medical or religious reasons to submit to mandatory weekly testing in accordance with state guidelines.
The school updates its dashboard with the results.
![Associate Vice President of University Relations Mark Owczarski said he wasn't sure if the students were not planning on returning due to the COVID-19 guidelines or for other reasons](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/04/47355847-9945723-image-a-80_1630467007411.jpg)
Associate Vice President of University Relations Mark Owczarski said he wasn't sure if the students were not planning on returning due to the COVID-19 guidelines or for other reasons
The school is currently requiring all students and faculty to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status.
However, the school did drop its mass gathering restrictions, in according with state guidelines.
Students, employees, and visitors will be required to wear masks in high risk zones. Students and employees are not required to wear a mask indoors if they are in their office or dorm room.
The school announced it will review it's guidelines in September and reevaluate the certain restriction placed on students and employees.
Virginia is experiencing a spike in cases with over 8,000 new cases being reported on August 30 and a seven-day average of more than 3,000.
The state currently has almost 60 per cent of its citizens vaccinated.
COVID-19 continues to rise in cases across the US with more than 280,000 new cases reported on August 30.
![All students were required to submit proof of vaccination by August 6 to maintain their class schedule and housing selection. All employees will have to prove vaccination status by October 1](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/09/01/04/47355851-9945723-image-a-75_1630466972041.jpg)
All students were required to submit proof of vaccination by August 6 to maintain their class schedule and housing selection. All employees will have to prove vaccination status by October 1
Fifty-three per cent of US citizens have been fully vaccinated, with 61 per cent receiving at least one dose of the vaccine.
Not only are they requiring the vaccine for all staff and students, but Virginia Tech and The University of Virginia have partnered together to develop a new vaccine to prevent COVID-19, as well as its variants.
Dr. Steven Zeichner, from University of Virginia, and Dr. Xiang-Jin Meng, from Virginia Tech, are working together to create a fusion peptide vaccine.
Their vaccine could be ready for human trial in as little as six months.
This vaccine could help Virginia lower its COVID-19 cases eventually.
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