An Orange County mother is calling on the Goshen School District to reconsider her son’s case regarding his medical vaccine exemption - that has resulted in the school's decision to have him homeschooled.

Barbara Fixen’s 15-year-old ninth grader has a medical exemption for the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine from his doctors.

The mother, who resides in Campbell Hall, says his two older siblings had documented, severe reactions to the vaccine – including extremely high fevers and lasting neurological issues as a result.

Fixen says her son has attended Goshen schools since kindergarten with the exemption. She says that it was never an issue until she briefly homeschooled him due to other health reasons in 2023, and then decided to send him back after a fire destroyed their home in New Hampton.

“He needs an education. I work and my husband works so, it’s not like we’re home to give him an education at home,” Fixen says. “Being around people is very important to him. Not to be sitting home in his room where he is.”

A representative for the New York state Department of Health says it provides counsel to school districts as to whether to accept or reject an exemption, but that individual schools determine how medical vaccine exemptions are handled. They say appeals can be submitted to the New York state Education Department.

Fixen says she is discouraged from appealing based on what she feels is the state’s record to uphold district decisions, and allegedly side with schools. A representative NYSED referred News 12's inquiries about medical vaccine exemptions to the DOH.

“It’s hard on any parent to watch their kid suffer. Just to be a teenager and go to school in the morning and laugh with a friend or whatever. He doesn’t get any of that. They took it away from him,” says Fixen.

News 12 reached out to the Goshen Central School District for comment several times but has not heard back.

For more information on required vaccines for schools and medical exemptions visit this website.