Contact NY Board of Regents to Delay Children Kicked Out of School
July 13, 2019 — The courts said NO when Attorney Michael Sussman asked for a “stay” on the repeal of the religious exemption to vaccination. The next step is to ask the Board of Regents to delay the implementation of the law. It makes sense for them to delay it, and the Board is well within their power to make such a decision.
We need you to contact the Board of Regents NOW – today, tomorrow and Monday, as the Board will be meeting on Monday July 15th. SAVE THE DATE: July 15, Attend the Next Meeting of the Regents in Albany!
At this meeting the Board has the authority to delay kicking children out of school in New York. Below is John Gilmore’s action alert with all the important contact information and directions, including a sample letter you can use to draft your own letter. Make sure you explain why this is important to you and how it impacts you and your family:
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As most of you know, the request for a preliminary restraining order on the NY law repealing the religious exemption was denied yesterday. The Court will reconsider this issue again in the near future. In the meantime, we need to use every possible way to reduce the harm done by the repeal of the religious exemption, and restore our children’s rights. One way you can help with that is to come to the next meeting of the New York Board of Regents in Albany on Monday, July 15. The Board of Regents sets policy for all public schools in New York and has significant oversight authority over private schools. The Regents could issue an emergency regulation to delay the implementation of the repeal of religious exemptions, and they already have the power to compel school districts allow students with IEPs and 504 plans to remain in school until the schools deliver at home the services these students have a right to under Federal, not state, law.
Please TAKE ACTION NOW and send letters to and call Chancellor Betty Rosa and the New York State Board of Regents to slowdown the rushed implementation of the repeal of New York’s religious exemption, and to continue providing special education services required by federal law.
Please click on the Take Action link to send messages to Chancellor Rosa and the four “At Large” Regents, who represent the entire state.
In an earlier Action Alert we inadvertently left off Regent Christine Cea who represents Staten Island whose contact information we included below.
New York families, with more than 26,000 students who have had legal religious exemptions, should have reasonable time to make the necessary plans to either homeschool their children, or move to any of the 45 states that have religious exemptions, or the 19 states that allow exemptions for any reason. California and Maine, the other two states that repealed religious exemption laws, provided a much longer phase in time to implement their new laws, and for families and schools to make necessary arrangements. California allowed 3 to 8 years for students to get vaccinated, and Maine allowed more than 2 years. New York gave exactly 15 days after the Governor signed the bill on June 13 for parents to begin vaccinating, and some schools are already denying education to regular and special education students.
Yet nothing in the recently passed law relieves New York Schools of providing a free and appropriate education to students with special needs. California recognized this issue by allowing students with IEPs and 504 plans to keep existing religious exemptions.
SAVE THE DATE: July 15, Attend the Next Meeting of the Regents in Albany
The Board of Regents is meeting in Albany on Monday, July 15, 9:00 am at the State Education Building, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234 (across the street from the Capitol.) Our presence and attendance are important. Get there early if you want a seat in the very small conference room the Regents use. Please save the date and share with your networks.
Sample Letter for the Regents
Below is both a sample letter and a phone script that you can personalize or leave as is. Please focus on the implementation of the law. Please copy and paste the letter & the email the list of Regents members, and cc your legislators, school boards and parent organizations.
The Regents are a little understood appointed board that sets education policy for New York State. Betty Rosa is the Chancellor and head of the Regents. She is the most important person to contact. Each Regent represents certain counties. Check the list below to see which Regent represents your county and be sure to contact your Regent. And contact as many of them as your time will allow.
Honorable ______________________ ,
State Education Building
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
Dear Regent _____________________,
I am writing about the new law that abruptly repeals religious exemptions to vaccination to attend school. My children, and more than 26,000 other students across the state of New York, will not be able to attend school in the fall. The financial impact and emotional hardship of this new law is causing my family and thousands of other New York families horrific hardships because of their religious beliefs. The new law will not change our religious beliefs, and as a law-abiding citizen, the implementation should respect my ability to adapt to the new law, while respecting and preserving my constitutional right to freedom of religion free from state interference. The immediate implementation of this new law creates profound financial and emotional hardship on our family.
New York families should have reasonable time to make the necessary plans to either homeschool their children, or move to any of the 45 states that have religious exemptions, or the 19 states that allow exemptions for any reason. California and Maine, the other two states that have repealed religious exemption laws, provide a much longer phase in time to implement the new law and for families and schools to make necessary arrangements. California allowed 3 to 8 years for students to get vaccinated, and Maine allowed more than 2 years. New York gave exactly 15 days after the Governor signed the bill on June 13 for parents to begin vaccinating, and some schools are already denying education to regular and special education students.
Yet nothing in the recently passed law relieves New York Schools of providing a free and appropriate education to students with special needs. California recognized this issue by allowing students with IEPs and 504 plans to keep existing religious exemptions.
Several school districts around the state are sending letters to families stating they will report the families to Child Protective Services (CPS) if families don’t start vaccinating. Ostracizing families for their religious convictions adds unnecessary emotional turmoil.
We are looking to the NYSED the Regents as the agency implementing this law, for immediate relief and a more practical timeline for the implementation of this new law so both parents and school districts have reasonable time to prepare to address the challenges of this new policy.
We believe the legislators did not fully consider the short-term implications of this law and its impact on New York families. I implore the Regents to make this an immediate priority to ensure thousands of students are able to return to school for the 2019-2020 school year.
Sincerely,
Sample Script for phone calls
Please call the Regents at the numbers below. Here is a short script to use and feel free to personalize it and please focus on the implementation of the law.
Hi, my name is _____________________ I am calling regarding the new law that abruptly repeals religious exemptions to vaccination.
The immediate implementation of this new law creates profound financial and emotional hardship on our family. We are unable to quickly organize other educational options for our children or sell our homes to move to any of the other 45 states that allow religious exemptions. We are looking to the New State Education Department and Board of Regents for immediate relief and a more practical timeline for the implementation of this new law so both parents and school districts have reasonable time to prepare to address the challenges of this new law. Other states that have repealed religious exemption like California allowed up to 8 year and Maine which allows 2 years, New York has given us 15 days to begin vaccinating, and some schools are already denying education to regular and special education students.
Yet nothing in the recently passed law relieves New York Schools of providing a free and appropriate education to students with special needs. California recognized this issue by allowing students with IEPs and 504 plans to keep existing religious exemptions.
We believe the legislators did not fully consider the short-term implications of this law and its impact on families in New York state and we need your help. Thank you for your time and for helping my family and thousands across the state.
Find Your Regent
Find your Regent’s name here, or check the list below.
https://www.regents.nysed.gov/members/findrep
Betty A. Rosa
Chancellor
12th Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building,
89 Washington Avenue, Albany, N.Y. 12234
(518) 474-5889
District is Bronx County
At Large Regents
The following Regents are at “At Large” members, meaning they do not represent a specific geographic area but the entire state. Everybody should contact the At Large members.
James E. Cottrell
SUNY Downstate Medical Center
450 Clarkson Avenue – Box 6
Brooklyn, NY 11203-2098
(718) 270-2331
Lester W. Young, Jr.
55 Hanson Place, Suite 400
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 722-2796
Wade S. Norwood
74 Appleton Street
Rochester, NY 14611
Phone (585) 436-2944
Luis O. Reyes
Regents Office, State Education Building
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-5889
The following Regents represent specific counties. Please check to see which Regent represents your County.
Nan Eileen Mead
1st Judicial District
116 West 32nd Street, 6th Floor,
New York, NY 10001 212-643-3039
District is New York County (Manhattan)
Kathleen M. Cashin
2nd Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building
89 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12234 Phone
(518) 474-5889
District is Kings County (Brooklyn)
Josephine Victoria Finn
3rd Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building
89 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-5889
• Albany
• Columbia
• Greene
• Rensselaer
• Schoharie
• Sullivan
• Ulster
Beverly L. Ouderkirk
4th Judicial District
303 Main Street, Morristown, NY 13664
(315) 375-8596
District includes the following counties:
• Clinton
• Essex
• Franklin
• Fulton
• Hamilton.
• Montgomery
• Saratoga
• Schenectady
• St Lawrence
• Warren
• Washington
Elizabeth S. Hakanson
5th Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building,
89 Washington Avenue, Albany, N.Y. 12234
(518) 474-5889
District includes the following counties:
• Herkimer
• Jefferson
• Lewis
• Oneida
• Onondaga
• Oswego
Susan W. Mittler
6th Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building,
89 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY, 12234
(518) 474-5889
District includes the following counties:
• Broome
• Chemung
• Chenango
• Cortland
• Delaware
• Madison
• Otsego
• Schuyler
• Tioga
T. Andrew Brown
Vice Chancellor
7th Judicial District 925 Crossroads Building,
Two State Street, Rochester, NY 14614
(585) 454-3667
District includes the following counties:
• Cayuga
• Livingston
• Monroe
• Ontario
• Seneca
• Steuben
• Wayne
• Yates
Catherine Collins
8th Judicial District
508 Main Street, Buffalo, NY,
14202 (518) 474-5889
District includes the following counties:
• Allegany
• Cattaraugus
• Chautauqua
• Erie • Genesee
• Niagara
• Orleans
• Wyoming
Judith Johnson
9th Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building
89 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY, 12234
(518) 474-5889
District includes the following counties:
• Dutchess
• Orange
• Putnam
• Rockland
• Westchester
Roger Tilles
10th Judicial District
Lorber Hall, Room 211
Long Island University
720 Northern Boulevard,
Brookville, NY 11548
(516) 299-3505
District includes the following counties:
• Nassau
• Suffolk
Judith Chin
11th Judicial District Regents Office,
State Education Building,
89 Washington Avenue,
Albany, NY 12234
(518) 474-5889
District is Queens County
Christine D. Cea
Member
13th Judicial District
Regents Office, State Education Building,
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY 12234
Phone (518) 474-5889
District is Staten Island (Richmond County)
