On Monday, on the deadline set for state of Washington employees to be vaccinated or receive an exemption, Nick Rolovich was fired for refusing to get the vaccination and his exemption based on religious reasons was denied.
This morning came news of a move that most saw coming, Rolo is planning legal action after his dismissal.
This morning, Rolo's lawyer shared a statement saying that they're planning legal action against Wazzu and all parties responsible for his "illegal termination."
The statement also accuses athletic director Pat Chun of "discriminatory and vindictive" behavior. The state's vaccine mandate was instituted in August, but the legal team's statement accuses Chun of unfair treatment dating back to April.
"Since at least early April, it became clear that Chun had already determined that Coach Rolovich would be fired.”
More from Rolo's attorney is here:
The school fired Rolo in year two of his contract with about $10 million remaining on it, and made it clear that it was "for cause." That's part looks to be what Rolo and his legal team are planning to fight.
There are compelling arguments on both sides of this one, with people passionately defending each side. The state mandate for employees is clear, and there's some wording in Rolovich's contract that requires he abide by all Washington State employee mandates, so it will be interesting to watch how this gets resolved.
Four other assistant coaches - defensive tackles coach Ricky Logo, assistant head coach John Richardson, co-offensive coordinator Craig Stutzmann and offensive line coach Mark Weber - were also let go for the same reason. No word yet on any pending legal action from them.
New: Nick Rolovich's lawyer releases a statement saying that he's taking legal action against Washington State and all parties responsible "for his illegal termination." He accuses AD Pat Chun of "discriminatory and vindictive" behavior.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) October 20, 2021