Ex-WSU coach Nick Rolovich sues Washington Gov. and school after firing for refusing COVID vaccine

Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich has filed a lawsuit against the university, its athletic director, Pat Chun, and the Washington State administration, Jay Inslee, seeking damages following his firing for refusing to fight COVID last year. get vaccinated.

Rolovich had filed a claim against the university earlier in April, a condition of suing a government agency. A person must wait 60 days to file a lawsuit after a tort claim is filed.

The most recent lawsuit, filed Friday, did not specify damages the former head coach would seek — unlike the previous claim which sought $25 million — per ESPN.

Rolovich was fired in October 2021 after coaching just 11 games in two seasons with the Cougars, going 5–6.

The devout Catholic was denied a religious exemption from Governor Jay Inslee’s mandate to require state employees to get the vaccine.

Former Washington State football coach Nick Rolovich (center) has filed a lawsuit against the university, its athletic director, Pat Chun, and Washington govt Jay Inslee

According to the report, Rolovich’s attorney, Brian Fahling, said the lawsuit had eight counts; including the wrongful withholding of wages, discrimination against religion, breach of contract, violation of the First and 14th Amendments, as well as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Rolovich is seeking damages in respect of punitive damages, loss of past and future earnings, and punitive damages.

A ESPN Report 2021 said the school tried to allay Rolovich’s vaccine fear by putting him in touch with Dr. Guy Palmer, a WSU Regent Professor of Pathology and Infectious Diseases.

Palmer told ESPN that Rolovich’s questions seemed like they came from the “social media anti-vax mob.”

Kind of typical: Is Bill Gates involved in the vaccines? Is doing [Gates] have a patent on the vaccines?’ Palmer told ESPN. ‘He asked if SV40 is in the vaccines and if that could be dangerous. And the answer to that is “no”

Fahling submitted a 34-page letter to the university appealing the dismissal of Rolovich in November 2021. That appeal was rejected.

Then-Washington State head coach Nick Rolovich, center, stands with his players before their NCAA college football game against Stanford on Saturday in Pullman, Washington

Rolovich, who is Catholic, was denied a religious exemption from Governor Jay Inslee’s mandate to require state employees to get the vaccine

At the time of his firing, Rolovich was working under a five-year contract with three seasons left. He received $3.2 million a year, the highest public salary in the state.

WSU reviewed exemption requests with a two-person panel using a blind evaluation process that omitted applicants’ names and job titles, the school said.

However, according to Fahling, Chun planned to fire Rolovich as early as April 2021 — four months before the vaccine mandate came into effect.

“Chun’s animus toward Coach Rolovich’s sincere religious beliefs and Chun’s dishonesty at Coach Rolovich’s expense over the past year has been damning and will be thoroughly worked out in lawsuits,” Fahling wrote in a statement at the time.

Rolovich, a former quarterback who played in the World Football League, was Hawaii’s head coach for three years before signing with WSU in 2020. His overall record with the Cougars was 5-6

“Chun’s discriminatory and vindictive behavior has caused immeasurable damage to Coach Rolovich and his family.”

Fahling also claimed to know that even if Rolovich’s waiver request were granted, he would still have been fired.

“The institution also indicated that even if the exemption had been granted, no housing would have been made,” Fahling wrote.

Rolovich didn’t get a chance to address his team before he was fired, and was quickly escorted off the grounds by police, according to Fahling.

“Immediately after Coach Rolovich’s termination, WSU Athletic Director, Pat Chun, ordered campus police to escort the coach to his car. He was not allowed into his office, nor was he even allowed to speak to his team,” Fahling wrote.

WSU President Kirk Schulz said in his October 2021 statement that fewer than 50 of 10,000 school employees were fired for refusing to get vaccinated, including Rolovich and aides Craig Stutzmann (co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks), Mark Weber (offensive line ), Ricky Logo (defensive tackles) and John Richardson (cornerbacks).

Crowd Management Security Staffers Myrladis Lopez, front right, and Jacqueline Barajas, top right, check for evidence of COVID-19 vaccination of Vince Johnson, left, and his wife Marci Johnson before they were allowed to enter Martin Stadium for an NCAA interstate college football game Washington and the state of Oregon on October 9, 2021

“This is a disheartening day for our football program,” Chun said in his statement at the time of Rolovich’s firing. “Our priority is and will continue to be the health and well-being of the young men on our team.

“The leadership of our football team is made up of young men of character, selflessness and resilience and we are confident that these same attributes will help us guide this program as we move forward.”

Rolovich, a former quarterback who played in the World Football League and Arena Football League, was Hawaii’s head coach for three years before signing with WSU in 2020.

His overall record with the Cougars was 5-6.

Nick Rolovich requested, and was denied, a religious exemption based on his “devout” Catholic faith, according to a statement to DailyMail.com by his lawyer, Brian Fahling