LOS ANGELES — A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Tuesday struck down L.A. Unified's student COVID-19 vaccine mandate, ruling that the school district exceeded its authority and that the power to require children to be vaccinated to attend school lies with the state.
The ruling, however, has no immediate effect within the L.A. Unified School District, because the district in May postponed its mandate until at least July 2023 — a move that aligned with the state decision to pause its own school vaccine requirement until then. LAUSD was the first of the nation's largest school systems to institute a COVID-19 vaccination requirement for students, and despite the delay, school board members were resolute in defending it against lawsuits.
Los Angeles school district officials had no immediate response, including on whether they intend to appeal the judge's decision.
