A Fayette County mother has filed a formal complaint against the Fayette County Board of Education this week as a result of an unexpected visit to her home by an armed law-enforcement officer and school staff member. The stated purpose of the visit was to deliver a written notice and inform the mother that her son would not be permitted to continue attending Fayette Institute of Technology (FIT), in Oak Hill, because Fayette County Schools had determined he was not fully vaccinated according to their mandates.
In a public social media post on Tuesday, September 1, she expressed her determination to oppose these bully tactics by the public school system:
According to the mother, Outhelia "Sue" Taylor, the notice included highlights of his vaccine history showing a requirement by the school to have boosters in order to continue enrollment. She stated in an interview with Beacon News WV that permission had not been given to access her son's immunization records.
However, under WV State Code 64 CSR 7-6.2, public school staff can access the West Virginia Statewide Immunization Information System (WVIIS) regarding a student's vaccine status without parental consent.
The student, Jedidiah Taylor, was incorrectly identified in the hand-delivered document as a student at Midland Trail High School. In the formal complaint, Taylor is identified as a homeschool student who attends FIT.
Taylor said she was informed that there would be a nurse from Rainelle Medical Center available at FIT the next day if she wanted her son to be vaccinated. In response to that, as relayed to Beacon News West Virginia, "I respectfully said I would speak to his pediatrician because I believe all medical decisions should be made by a medical professional and not a random nurse who knows nothing about my son's health." - Outhelia "Sue" Taylor
Taylor said the armed officer and school staff were courteous but informed her that her son was not allowed to return to school on September 2, 2026 as a provisional student. She filed the formal complaint on Wednesday, September 2, and has a meeting scheduled with Superintendent David Warvel next week.
Taylor expects documented responses to her requests in the complaint in a timely manner, as required by a new board policy that went into effect last year. WVBE Policy 7211, provides clarity and a timeline for resolving formal complaints-- within 10 days of the informal conference.
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