Historic Winery Sues New York State Health Commissioner over Mask Mandate
Washington, DC, Aug. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- William Ouweleen, Vintner for the oldest dedicated sacramental winery in America, has filed a federal lawsuit in the Western District of New York against Dr. Howard Zucker, in his capacity as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).
Washington, DC, Aug. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- William Ouweleen, Vintner for the oldest dedicated sacramental winery in America, has filed a federal lawsuit in the Western District of New York against Dr. Howard Zucker, in his capacity as Commissioner of the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).
The complaint asserts that Ouweleen is being denied equal protection under the law because the NYSDOH has issued a regulation requiring only the unvaccinated to wear masks and face coverings at work under 10 NYCRR 63-3.1(a). The CDC recently confirmed that vaccination does not prevent transmission of SARS CoV-2.
Attorney Sujata Gibson filed the complaint on August 5, 2021 on behalf of Ouweleen. The new regulation was issued after Governor Cuomo ended the New York State of Emergency on June 24, 2021.
Children’s Health Defense (CHD) is supporting the lawsuit. “This is a perfect example of overreach on the part of public health officials,” said CHD Board Chair Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These types of arbitrary restrictions have been allowed to continue unabated since the media’s Pharma-driven fear mongering campaign over COVID began. It’s time for citizens and business owners to fight back. We support Mr. Ouweleen’s efforts to do just that.”
Ouweleen was cited twice by patrons of the winery for not wearing a mask and has been informed by the local Department of Health that he could be fined or closed down, or both, if additional complaints are received.
Founded by abolitionist Bishop Bernard J. McQuaid in 1872, O-Neh-Da remains one of the oldest wineries in North America and will be celebrating its 150th Anniversary in January 2022.
Ouweleen is not able to tolerate a mask for long periods. He invested thousands of dollars to purchase and install ActivePure® air purification technology throughout the winery to keep friends, employees and the general public safe from any and all pathogens before he reopened for indoor business. For religious and medical reasons, Ouweleen refuses to take an experimental vaccine.
“The FDA has not approved or licensed masks, nor are they proven to be effective in preventing viral transmission,” said Ouweleen. “They have ‘Emergency Use Authorization’ only, much like the experimental injections.”
Under the Nuremburg Code of 1947, no medical experiment is allowable without the informed consent of the individual. It is a fundamental right of the individual to consent or refuse experimental treatments and medical devices as is recognized worldwide, including in the United States.
From mid-December through July 30, the U.S. government’s Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) has received 581,770 reports of adverse events including 12,336 deaths.
“Forced medical interventions including vaccination and mask-wearing are a clear violation of both the U.S. Constitution and the Nuremberg Code,” said CHD president and general counsel Mary Holland. “The long-term health repercussions of COVID vaccines are as yet unknown. But when you factor in the incredible number of short-term adverse events being reported to VAERS, it becomes clear that the actions of the NYSDOH are not only an abuse of power but also an outright threat to human health. People have every right to reject these capricious edicts which are obviously not based upon science.”
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Children’s Health Defense is devoted to the health of people and our planet. Our mission is to end the childhood health epidemics by working aggressively to eliminate harmful exposures, hold those responsible accountable, and establish safeguards to prevent future harm.
Rita Shreffler Children's Health Defense 202-599-1461 [email protected]