UMD Students Signing Petition to Protest Vaccine Form for Enrollment

DULUTH, Minn. – The start of the spring semester at UMD saw one recent student begin an effort to end the vaccine requirement to attend classes.

Lucius Lafromboise is protesting against the form required by the University of Minnesota system that identifies a person’s vaccination status, or list a medical or religious exemption against getting one.  He chose not to fill this out, preventing him from signing up for his final classes to graduate this spring.

Lafromboise is gathering signatures from other students on campus in support of his protest, saying a student’s medical status should not be used against them when it comes to enrollment and pursuing an education.

“We just want to talk to the University,” says Lafromboise, “and have them reconsider this policy, not for the vaccine aspect, but the part that is withholding education.  Our slogan is public means public, because this university should be open to everybody.”

Lafromboise says all signatures will be presented to the Board of Regents and President Joan Gabel.  At a minimum, he wants to see dialogue between the system and others like him against the vaccine requirement so that a compromise can be reached.

The system began requiring the vaccine form back in August after the FDA gave full approval to the COVID vaccines.