Nearly 3 years post-COVID, Williamson County Schools still uses a vaccine exemption form with intimidating "penalty of perjury" language. Critics say it's designed to deter parents from exercising their lawful rights to opt out.
By TruthWire News
Nearly three years after the declared end of the COVID-19 emergency, Williamson County Schools (WCS) is still requiring parents who seek a religious exemption from school vaccination requirements to sign a form that includes language warning them they are “affirming under penalty of perjury.”
The form—used by WCS to fulfill its responsibilities under Tennessee Code § 49-6-5001—acknowledges that parents have a legal right to opt out of immunization requirements due to religious beliefs. But it does so while prominently including a reference to the criminal penalties of perjury, reminding parents that such a violation in Tennessee is a Class A misdemeanor carrying up to 11 months and 29 days in jail and a $2,500 fine.
The inclusion of this language—especially in bold formatting—raises questions about the district’s intent and whether it amounts to undue intimidation aimed at discouraging lawful exemptions. Nowhere in Tennessee law does it require that parents seeking a religious exemption for their child’s vaccinations be reminded of criminal penalties, nor does the law authorize school districts to make such an exemption conditional upon the parent affirming their beliefs in a legal format more suited for court proceedings than school paperwork.
Legal Context and COVID Fallout
Following the controversies around COVID-era mandates, the Tennessee legislature passed multiple laws affirming parents’ rights regarding vaccine mandates. Most notably, Tennessee Code § 14-2-101 (2024) explicitly prohibits government entities, schools, or local education agencies from requiring a person to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or requiring proof of vaccination as a condition to enter school facilities or receive services.
That law, however, was narrowly tailored to COVID-19 vaccines and did not extend to other childhood vaccinations such as those for measles, mumps, or rubella—many of which remain subject to state mandates.
In this context, many parents and legal observers view WCS’s continued use of a form featuring threatening language as part of a broader effort to subtly dissuade religious exemption requests. The move comes at a time when childhood illness outbreaks, such as measles, are being heavily publicized by media outlets, fueling renewed pressure campaigns from public health officials. Critics allege that this media attention is being exploited by school systems, under pressure from both the Progressive Left and Big Pharma interests, to reassert control over parental choice.
New Federal Spotlight: RFK Jr. and Vaccine Policy
With Robert F. Kennedy Jr. now appointed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the vaccine debate has entered a new phase nationally. RFK Jr., known for his public skepticism of vaccine industry practices and the influence of pharmaceutical corporations on public health policy, represents a sharp departure from previous administrations’ approaches. His appointment adds urgency—and national attention—to what many see as the need for clear, parent-centered policies on vaccine exemptions, free from coercion or intimidation.
Coercive Tone or Legal Precision?
WCS’s form may be legally valid in acknowledging the perjury statute, but parents commenting on social media in parental rights advocacy groups, argue it crosses a line when used in this context. “It’s intimidation dressed up as formality,” said one concerned parent. “The law doesn’t require this language, and they know most people will be scared off by the threat of jail time.”
Indeed, the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions both affirm religious freedom and the right of parents to direct their children’s upbringing and medical care. The Tennessee statute only requires a “signed, written statement that immunizations conflict with the parent's or guardian's religious tenets and practices.” There is no statutory mandate that it must be affirmed under the threat of prosecution.
What Parents Should Know:
Legal experts recommend that parents facing this form do the following:
· Ask for a copy of the exact law or district policy requiring the “penalty of perjury” language.
· Submit their own written religious exemption statement if they are uncomfortable with the form provided.
· Remain calm and remember: Tennessee law does not authorize schools to refuse enrollment based solely on the absence of non-COVID vaccinations if a religious exemption is submitted.
Parents may also wish to contact their elected officials to advocate for uniform exemption processes that do not discourage participation through the use of legal threats.
Notably, the original version of the COVID vaccine mandate ban passed by the Tennessee General Assembly included language that would have extended the prohibition to any future public health emergency involving other illnesses or viruses. However, Republican leadership ultimately stripped those provisions, opting instead for a narrowly tailored bill that applied only to COVID-19. The result? Should another pandemic arise, nothing in current law would prevent state or local officials from imposing new vaccine mandates under a different emergency declaration.
As this issue continues to surface, one thing is clear: the legacy of COVID-19-era policies still looms large, and in places like Williamson County, public trust in local institutions may hinge on whether school districts choose clarity and cooperation over coercion and confusion.
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