W.Va. delegate says those against Morrisey’s vaccine exemptions are being hypocritical

WDTV News Staff
June 18, 2025

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BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WDTV) – A West Virginia delegate is voicing her opinion about the opposition of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s executive order on vaccine exemptions.

Delegate Kathie Hess Crouse, R-Putnam, says if the school boards and ACLU want full vaccine compliance, they need to “start at the top” and suggests that they’re being hypocritical.

Crouse says that if every single student must be vaccinated without exception, then every adult in the public school system, including teachers, administrators, nurses, board members, county office employees, bus drivers, custodians, and visitors, which include parents, guest speakers and maintenance contractors, must abide by the same standard and be fully vaccinated according to the pediatric schedule. They also must provide proof at the door, she says.

“No titers. No ‘I had chickenpox.’ No religious or philosophical exemptions — unless they’re honored for students, too,” Crouse said.

Crouse also says that if vaccine exemptions are not allowed for the sake of public safety, then we must go “all in” and place strict limits on school travel. She says travel should only be permitted to California, Mississippi, Maine, Connecticut or New York, as they’re the only states that “align with West Virginia’s historical no-exemption stance.” She also suggests that only teams from those states be able to play our state’s teams in sporting events.

Another suggestion by Crouse is that any student, teacher, administrator or staff member who travels to a state that allows vaccine exemptions should quarantine upon return and be required to stay out of school for 21 days. She says this includes conferences, vacations and athletic tournaments and that students may complete coursework remotely, and employees must use personal or vacation leave.

“The hypocrisy here is staggering,” Crouse said. “Bureaucrats scream that unvaccinated children pose a public health risk, yet many of them have fewer immunizations than a kindergartener. If they believe full compliance is necessary for safety, then let’s enforce it on everyone with no double standards and no selective enforcement. If mandates are to exist, then they must apply equally to all personnel, visitors and operations within the school system. I’d be happy to introduce legislation next year to codify these requirements into law.”

Crouse says that Morrisey’s order still stands and that he is “well within his constitutional right to issue it.”

“West Virginia families have had enough of coercion, double standards, and mandates masked as public safety,” Crouse said. “It’s time to restore parental rights, defend medical freedom, and hold these institutions accountable. If the education establishment wants to fight this battle, then they should be prepared to live under their own rules.”