EDMOND, Okla. (KFOR) – In a five to four decision, The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled against the Edmond Public Schools 2021 quarantine policy for COVID-19.

On March 28th, 2023, the Oklahoma Supreme Court issued its ruling in Shellem v. Grunewald .

View the ruling here.

“I love Edmond and I care for our kids and teachers so I was not going to sit on the sidelines when the law was broken to the detriment of so many children,” stated Brian Shellem in a statement to KFOR.

Shellem served as lead plaintiff in the case.

“Today we celebrate the victory for the rule of law. This is not just for the parents of public schools. This is for a victory for all the students and teachers of Oklahoma,” he continued.

Like many school, EPS required unvaccinated students exposed to COVID-19 to quarantine at home, though they could continue their studies online.

However, according to lawsuit, the EPS policy imposed different standards for quarantines and quarantine durations for unvaccinated children as opposed to vaccinated children.

Subsequently, the Supreme Court ruled that treating students differently depending on their vaccination status is unlawful:

“While it appears that District’s intention was to curb the spread of COVID-19, the policy effectively prohibits unvaccinated students from attending school when exposed to COVID-19 because of their COVID-19 vaccination status.”

The Oklahoma Supreme Court

“The Supreme Court sided with our view [that] Edmond Public Schools could no longer discriminate against out children,” said co-plaintiff Emilie Garrelts, who said the district’s COVID-19 policies were detrimental.

“Children were suffering from severe physical, emotional [and] psychological effects of these quarantine practices,” she added.

EPS no longer enforces the stringent policy.

Instead, it places quarantine responsibilities into the hands of parents.

View the most recent COVID-19 school policy here.

The decision pinpoints a particularly polarizing time, as many schools in Oklahoma and around the country scrambled to enforce what they viewed as pandemic safe policies during the height of coronavirus.

In a statement to KFOR, an Edmond Public Schools spokesperson said the district was reviewing the ruling:

“We are aware of the decision of the Oklahoma Supreme Court in the case of Shellem v. Grunewald. We are disappointed in the result. Legal counsel for the District will be meeting with the Superintendent and Board of Education to discuss the ruling.”

Edmond Public Schools