Former WSU football coach Nick Rolovich to file lawsuit after being fired for noncompliance with COVID vaccine mandate

Nick Rolovich will reportedly take his dismissal as Washington State football coach to court, with his lawyer alleging he was illegally fired and accusing Athletic Director Pat Chun of “discriminatory and vindictive” behavior.

In perhaps the highest-profile case to date of a public employee being terminated because of a state’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, the school on Monday announced the dismissal of Rolovich after he had not complied with a statewide order issued by Gov. Jay Inslee in August. Rolovich, the state’s highest-paid employee at $3.2 million per year, had remained unvaccinated as the state’s Monday vaccination deadline arrived.

Rolovich had cited his religious beliefs as the reason for not being vaccinated.