Editor's Note: This article is one in a series produced by students of the West Virginia University Reed School of Media and Communications.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Lawrence Barrio moved his family from Florida to West Virginia earlier this year. In Florida, he obtained a religious exemption for school vaccinations for his children with little difficulty.

“It doesn’t matter exactly what your formulation of the words are for your religious reason,” Barrio said. “What matters is that if you feel that your conscience and religion is informing you not to vaccinate your kids …that’s all that’s required.”

He expected a similar process in his new state. Instead, his daughters were denied entry to school and removed from their sports teams the day before classes started. That came after Gov. Patri

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