The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) nursing student who said police officers forced her from class because she refused the COVID-19 vaccine said she will oppose a school policy that defies her beliefs and her legal rights.
That student, Avery Garfield, spoke to The Tennessee Star on Friday.
“I feel like I have woken up having to make a choice. Do I choose to fight for my rights and keep a hold of my beliefs or do I give in for a career? Mentally, this has taken a lot of heart and a lot of soul, and it has taken a lot out of me,” Garfield said.
“All of that passion that I had with nursing has not necessarily been dampened all the way, but it’s given it a little bit of a bad taste in my mouth.”
In a column last month, the Williamson County-based Tennessee Stands cited MTSU policy, which said nursing students must take the COVID-19 vaccine, with no exceptions.
Garfield’s attorney, Russell Newman, has taken legal action on Garfield’s behalf. He said Friday that MTSU officials cannot mandate the COVID-19 vaccine.
“You cannot mandate an unapproved vaccine,” said Newman, who is based out of Brentwood.
“That is the position that we are taking. You cannot mandate it. Therefore an exemption is not needed or required.”
Newman said Thursday that two police officers were waiting for Garfield as she arrived at her nursing class Thursday morning. He said those officers escorted her out of the building. Newman also said MTSU officials will not allow her to attend her clinical, which is part of her nursing curriculum.
MTSU spokesman Jimmy Hart told The Star on Friday that Newman and Garfield did not tell the story accurately.
“After the conversation with the faculty member on the day in question, the student left the meeting acknowledging that she understood she could not attend class and left the building without incident,” Hart said via email.
“University police officers were on site at the request of faculty but did not at any time detain or touch the student. The officers left the building at the same time as the student, but it was not to escort or remove her from the building. She left freely and of her own accord.”
Garfield said Tuesday it’s important that she assert herself.
“If you are scared about standing up for yourself and you are looking to see if anyone else is doing it and you think ‘Oh my God, are they going to think that I am crazy. Am I throwing everything away?’ If you want to use this as your sign then go for it,” Garfield said.
“You can fight back against this. If we come together and we all push against these unlawful mandates and we stand up for the choices of what happens to our own bodies we can win this if we fight together. We the people.”
Newman said Tennessee Stands members support Garfield and are paying for Newman’s time and expenses.
Newman said he was already representing Garfield in a lawsuit against MTSU regarding the vaccine mandate. On Thursday he filed his seventh emergency motion in the case, which is a second application for a temporary restraining order in the Middle District of Tennessee in the federal court.
“The court denied the first application for a temporary restraining order stating that we could not prove irreparable harm so we corrected that, and we filed a second TRO which is an emergency motion with the federal court this afternoon,” Newman said Thursday.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Avery Garfield” by Avery Garfield.
I encourage Garfield and her lawyer to fight this to the bitter end. Forced vaccination for any reason by any entity smacks in the face of individual rights.
I would much rather have this young woman’s care without even a medical license than the lock step zombies who have taken the poison and are currently working in our Josef Mengele health care system.
A large amount of foolish people in these comments today speaking their nonsense “Just get in the boxcar there are hot showers waiting at the destination.”
If y’all keep believing that the government and fully controlled healthcare system are your loving trusted friends you are already too far gone!
You can only get so stupid for free and then you will have to pay for your ignorance!
The vaccine has been approved by the U.S. government as safe to use. I had my two Pfizer vaccines last March and April and have had no symptoms. As a nursing student, Avery Garfield has an obligation to her fellow students, faculty, and future patients to vaccinate herself against a super-deadly disease. Otherwise, she has no business in the medical profession. The anti-vaxers have told enough lies that have already killed more than enough people, especially in places like my former home of Tennessee.
Former home… Good ridance.
You are so full of it I personally know a nurse who has had both of her shots and has to this day gotten COVID three times go lie to someone else
You missed an important point! The nurse was vaccinated and still caught covid three times… but she lived!!! Many who were not vaccinated caught it once and didn’t live.
Research states that 98% of the people hospitalized with covid were NOT vaccinated.
The vaccine may not stop you from getting covid, but good chance you’ll get a milder case. Good reason to wear your mask and wash your hands often too.
You, my dear are not fit to ever be called a nurse
How evil you are!
I hope she flunks out she is the very epitome of stupidity
It has been proven that the Wuhan shot sterilizes a woman. If a woman does get pregnant after taken the shot, she has a miscarriage within the first trimester. Why would you force this atrocity upon women?
Your statement has no basis in fact. Cite your source.
There are no studies showing how safe it is for pregnant women, let alone showing it hurts them
Nobody wants a nurse to be standing over them with Covid l l suggest you find another profession cause I definitely would refuse your help
How unreal!
Just look what is happening in Israel. They pretty much forced their people to take the vaccine. 90% were vaccinated. Now Israel is in a mess and it is the vaccinated people ending up in the hospital. This vaccine is a human experiment. No one can know what this will do to your body in years to come. No one should be forced to choose job over vaccine. That is what communist countries do. Force people. Not being vaccinated does not put anyone in danger . There are many doctors , not allowed a voice, that believe mass vaccination is what is causing the variants to become stronger. We can not afford to lose our personal freedom of choice. This vaccine does not stop the virus and it may be harmful to your body. Many get covid and survive and produce natural antibodies that will help survive ongoing attacks. More people should stand up for their rights. I hope she wins her case. She should. Fear is driving this madness . Or politics. Wake up America.
Why then are the hospitals overflowing with very sick non vaccinated people?
My son is a Resident at a large hospital. Not once did any patient say (the ones that survived) gee I’m glad I didn’t get the vaccine! So much regret when you’re fighting for your life! This is not about your freedom, this is about your survival, and everyone else’s. It’s just ignorant and selfish to not get the vaccine.
She will come to her senses when COVID-19 or worse gets one of her family members she loves dearly or gets her. Of course at the point it gets her, it will be too late. Her refusal to be vaccinated shoes she is not nurse material. She obviously is unconcerned about possibly infecting others and especially patients under her care. I hope I never have her as a nurse. She would be in the list of Nurse Rachetts on any floor of a hospital
Way to go young lady! I’ll be there with you as mandates hit government employees
And then let her die when she becomes infected. Her choice. All I can say is that she is young and dumb.
Do you have the same energy about abortion. Remember it’s a women body
Refusing the vaccination is putting herself and her patients at a higher risk. She is going to be serving the public. The health profession is about helping , healing and yea, educating those without medical training. Having 15 minutes in the spotlight for refusing to follow science, to be willing to put o Weald and others at medical risk is not what nursing is about. Perhaps a different profession should be sought if there is no regard for protecting patients.
As an RN myself, it is hard for me to understand how someone studying to be a nurse does not understand the rigorous testing that went behind the now FDA approved COVID-19 Vaccinations by Phyzer. I would think she would want to do everything she could to protect herself, her patients, and her family against transmission of this terrible Pandemic. Prayers with you, future nurse, that you either come to your senses and get the vaccination or that you are not exposed. She is the first step in fighting this terrible pandemic and by being an example to all around her by showing the safety of the vaccine. Roll up your sleeve and get vaccinated now!
Go get’em Miss Garfield. It’s about time someone stood up to the “self-appointed ruling class”.
What don’t you understand about a worldwide pandemic that has killed millions and is not contained
Her body her choice, right you lying hypocrite democrats, oh thats only about abortion and murdering the unborn not about your vaccine mandates.
You don’t believe in
God does believe in us but you have to be a good person who does not hate others for their believe there are some great people in this world specially in this wonderful country call USA