Ex-Washington State coach Nick Rolovich speaks out on why he didn't comply with state's vaccine mandate
Washington State fired Rolovich and four other assistant coaches last October for failing to comply with a state mandate to receive the vaccine. The school fired Rolovich for cause, preventing him from receiving the approximately $9 million remaining on his contract. Earlier this year, Rolovich filed a $25 million wrongful termination claim against the school.
According to Rolovich, Washington State athletic director Pat Chun eventually outlined his options when he would not comply with the vaccine mandate.
"[Chun] said, 'You got four options: resign, get the vax, get a medical exemption, get religious exemption,'" Rolovich told The Daily Wire's Allison Williams, a former ESPN reporter who left the network because of Disney's vaccine mandate for employees. "I'm not getting the shot. I'm not resigning. I'm not going to get a medical because I could go get a fake card, easy, but then I'd be lying. … I'm going to do a religious [exemption]. And they both said 'We're not going to believe you, you know, the governor's not happy with you.'"
Rolovich said Washington State's human resources department approved his religious exemption request, but it then went to Chun, his supervisor, who wrote a letter questioning Rolovich's belief in science. Rolovich told Williams he thought Chun "helped" in getting his exemption request ultimately denied.
When reached by ESPN, Chun and Washington State declined to comment on Rolovich's allegations.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34651998/ex-washington-state-coach-nick-rolovich-speaks-why-comply-state-vaccine-mandate