Judge sides with Washington State in lawsuit brought by former football coach Rolovich

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Washington State was justified in firing Nick Rolovich as head football coach because of his refusal to comply with the state’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements, a federal judge has ruled.

Rolovich sued the university following his dismissal midway through the 2021 season. He claimed that as a Catholic, he was exempted from the state’s vaccine mandate but his exemption request had been denied.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice ruled on Monday that Washington State could not accommodate Rolovich without undue hardship, including increased travel costs and hindered recruitment and fundraising efforts. The university also claimed damage to its reputation.

Rice also found no basis for Rolovich’s objection to the vaccine on religious grounds.

”(Rolovich) frequently expressed secular concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine to friends, family members and coworkers,” Rice wrote. “In the thousands of pages of discovery, Plaintiff does not invoke a religious objection to the vaccine. This alone is a basis for denying Plaintiff’s claimed religious objection.”

Rolovich’s lawsuit originally included Gov. Jay Inslee and then-Cougars athletic director Pat Chun, but those claims were dismissed in 2023.

Rolovich is currently a senior offensive assistant for the California Golden Bears.

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