Fitchburg Family Flees To Texas Amid Alleged Persecution By Police And DCF For Not Vaccinating Infant
Posted onApril 4, 2025 AuthorJoan Quinn EastmanComment(0)
Home School Family Who Refused Shots for Their Baby Pursued and Punished like Criminals
By Joan Quinn Eastman
FITCHBURG, MA – A family with five children from Fitchburg, Massachusetts, fled to Texas after what they claim was unwarranted harassment and intimidation by local police and the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The extreme response was reportedly sparked by the parents’ informed decision to decline to vaccinate their healthy nine-month-old baby.
The parents, who homeschool their children, stated to their pediatrician that they were opposed to their new baby receiving the shots based on their sincerely held religious beliefs. Despite citing religious exemptions which are law in Massachusetts, the father, Isael Rivera is being held in Worcester County Jail on a $200,000 bond or 20K cash bail, while the couple’s five children have reportedly been taken into custody by Child Protective Services (CPS). It is unclear whether the children are in foster care in Texas, or back in Massachusetts DCF custody.