An Illinois judge who stopped a divorced mother from seeing her son because she had not gotten a COVID-19 vaccination, has reversed his ruling and recused himself from the case, The Associated Press reported.
Last month during a child support hearing, Cook County Judge James Shapiro asked Rebecca Firlit if she had been vaccinated.
Firlit said she was not vaccinated because her doctor had advised her to avoid the vaccine due to strong allergic reactions she had to other vaccines previously.
Firlit told The Chicago Tribune she was “sick as a dog” from previous vaccines.
Hearing the answer, Shapiro withdrew her rights to visit her son, who is 11 years old.
Shapiro’s ruling drew national attention since Firlit’s ex-husband had not been the one to bring up the issue of COVID-19 vaccinations.
“I was confused because it was just supposed to be about expenses and child support,” the mother stated. “I asked him what it had to do with the hearing, and he said, ‘I am the judge, and I make the decisions for your case.’”
Since Shapiro reversed his order, Firlit is able to see her son, though her ex-husband’s attorney said that his client would appeal the reversal of the ruling.
“My client is definitely planning on fighting the court’s decision because it’s important the mother be vaccinated,” said the father’s attorney, Jeffery Leving.
Firlit’s attorney, Annette Fernholz, told the Tribune that Shapiro’s latest order “kind of invites the dad to bring the issue back before him.”
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