Family asks Harrison County Schools to provisionally enroll senior after state grants religious exemption

At the Aug. 19 Harrison County Board of Education meeting, Robert Cobb asked the board to provisionally enroll his daughter, Zoe Cobb, at Robert Seabird High School and at United Technical Center after the county and UTC disenrolled her despite what he says was an approved religious exemption from the West Virginia Department of Health.

The request came during the public-delegations portion of the meeting. "My daughter, Zoe Cobb, has been denied her right to an education," Robert Cobb told the board. "We did not ignore the law. We complied with it fully. We applied for the exemption, and it was granted." He urged the board to provisionally enroll Zoe while any disputes are resolved in court.

Zoe Cobb, a senior at Robert Seabird High School, told the board she had been approved for a religious exemption earlier in the year and that she was later dropped from UTC without notice. "Senior year is supposed to be a time when I'm finishing strong," she said. "Instead, I've had to worry about whether I'll even be allowed to graduate on time or finish my technical training." She said other students who did not receive required vaccinations remained enrolled, and she said that made her feel targeted.

The speakers told the board the exemption was granted by the West Virginia Department of Health; the family asked the board to apply provisional-enrollment protections so Zoe could continue classes and UTC training while the legal issues proceed. No formal board action or vote on the request was recorded in the meeting minutes or on the public record during the session.

Why it matters: If provisionally enrolled, the student could continue coursework and career-technical instruction while courts or administrative processes resolve disputes about the exemption. The family emphasized the impact on graduation and vocational training timelines.

What the speakers asked for: Robert Cobb asked that the board provisionally enroll Zoe at both Robert Seabird High School and United Technical Center pending legal resolution; the family framed the request as required by fairness and by the process they said the state has authorized.

What the record shows: The transcript shows the family told the board the Department of Health approved the exemption and that the student was disenrolled by UTC without notice. The board did not make a recorded decision during the meeting on provisional enrollment.

Next steps noted in the meeting: The family said they will pursue the matter in court and requested the board act to provisionally enroll the student while legal review continues.

Ending note: The transcript contains the family’s request and their account that a state health agency approved the exemption. The district’s position or the UTC’s rationale for disenrollment did not appear in the public portion of the transcript during this meeting.