Buffalo, NY (WBEN) A judge last week sided with Depew High School as a senior has been fighting for a return to the classroom despite not having a meningitis booster. Her family says she's had issues since getting the first booster a few years ago.
"Applying the law to the facts, it is plainly evident that the principal and School District's actions were grounded in sound reasoning," said State Supreme Court Justice Peter A. Weinmann, in his 10-page decision released Friday.
Shannon Bentley, aunt of the student, Kayci Rae, says because of the side effects the senior has been having, and has actually been shown in post clinical trials to be a reaction to some people, her physician decided not to recommend the booster shot for her. "Shortly after she got her meningitis vaccine, she started complaining of leg pains. And myself and Kayci's mom, we kind of brushed it off as growing pains for quite some time, and then we also thought, like, is she trying to get attention or just like typical teenager behavior. But then after it was going on for like, a solid two years, she was no longer having growth spurts. Were kind of wondering, what's going on with this?" says Bentley. Bentley says Rae was actually having a vaso reactive=like event with it, where she would get marbling on her legs when she was having her leg pain. "She went ended up seeing neurology. She saw physical therapy, she saw rheumatology, they couldn't figure out what it was until her physicians doing a deeper dive of the time frame of when you guys said her symptoms started to react."
Bentley says her the reaction has affected her ability to play sports. "Kayci had to quit softball because running would flare her legs. Events like her hanging out and going to amusement parks, the Erie County Fair, the beach, her friends would literally have to give her a piggy back," explains Bentley. "There's so many friends over at Depew high school that have witnessed Kayci go through all of this. She collapsed once at one of her one of her practices, it sincerely affected her. Kayci was an active kid going to the gym, gymnastics. She did dancing when she was younger. She's not overweight, very healthy, very active, was top in her gym class doing the Pacer Test. And then she gets this vaccine, and then just suddenly, the following school year, like, when it was time for the Pacer Test, she couldn't even fully complete it."
While Kayci is being homeschooled this year, Bentley says it still hurts. "It's severely depressing her. This is her senior year, and she's missing out on so so much. And the funny thing about it is, she's at such a risk of, according to Depew, spreading meningitis, but yet, she's gone to every basketball game so far. She went to the football games. She went to senior night the other week for basketball, for Depew, the teachers are walking up to her, giving her hugs, saying that they miss her," adds Bentley.
Bentley says this a power trip by Depew High School. "Kayci's lawyer submitted so much evidence, and even had an epidemiologist give literature and paperwork discussing why Kayci won't be a harm if she goes back to school," adds Bentley. "Why do we even have these vaccine exemptions? A lot of these schools are starting to put their input into what they think or what they believe. I can't even tell you how many people have reached out to this family. Same situation, but different vaccine or circumstance, anaphylaxis, whatever other health outcomes. And these schools are just trying to say, 'Nope, that's not good enough. You have to stay home.'" Bentley says it never used to be like this, where students were allowed back into school for a vaccine exemption. "New York State's just grasping at straws right now, trying to put their thumbs over these parents heads for kids that have had legit vaccine reactions, adds Bentley. She believes these schools are really trying to play doctor. "In the law just says, if your physician says this, that you further vaccinating may be detrimental to your health, and it's a physician, then that's all you need," explains Bentley.
A call to Depew Schools was not returned Monday. The district is off for winter break.