Court rules against former WSU coach Rolovich in mandate dispute

From KREM 2 News

PULLMAN — Former Washington State head football coach Nicholas Rolovich has lost his lawsuit against the university. 

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ruled in favor of WSU, upholding Rolovich’s termination for refusing to comply with the university’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rolovich served as WSU’s head football coach from Jan. 2020 until Dec. 2021.

When the university implemented a vaccine mandate for its employees, Rolovich refused to be vaccinated, citing religious objections. He requested a religious exemption, which the university ultimately denied.

Washington State University cited concerns about the timing of Rolovich’s religious beliefs and stated that accommodating an unvaccinated head football coach would create undue hardship. This led to Rolovich’s ultimate termination on Dec. 6, 2021. The decision prompted national debate.

Rolovich alleged that WSU had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) by discriminating against him based on his religious beliefs. He also claimed breach of contract and wage withholding, arguing that WSU lacked just cause for his dismissal.

The court dismissed each of Rolovich’s claims, by granting summary judgment in favor of WSU. In the ruling, the judge stated that Rolovich failed to provide sufficient evidence of a religious objection to the COVID-19 vaccine. The judge noted that Rolovich’s objections appeared to be primarily secular, saying Rolovich did not invoke a religious objection to the vaccine.

Additionally, the court concluded that WSU had demonstrated legitimate reasons for denying the exemption. The court also said that accommodating Rolovich’s unvaccinated status would impose significant hardships on the university.

The court also rejected Rolovich’s claims of breach of contract and wrongful wage withholding, finding that WSU had “just cause” for his termination.