Rolovich files $25M claim for wrongful termination

Aug. 10—The Nick Rolovich saga at Washington State University didn't end with the former football coach's firing in October 2021. A few chapters are still playing out.

Rolovich's legal team in April filed a $25 million tort claim against the university for wrongful termination. The tort was revealed earlier this month.

Rolovich was fired last year because he refused to follow Gov. Jay Inslee's mandate for public employees to be inoculated against the coronavirus.

Rolovich applied for a religious exemption to the mandate but it was denied. The former coach's attorney, Brian Fahling, filed a 34-page report to WSU appealing Rolovich's firing in November. That too was denied.

Fahling could not immediately be reached for comment.

"We've had conversations that date back months," WSU athletic director Pat Chun said after Rolovich was dismissed. "He was resolute in his stance and was ready to make a choice. That choice did not put him in compliance with this proclamation from the governor and that's why we sit here today."

A tort claim is not a lawsuit.

After the claim is filed, a claimant must wait at least 60 days before they can file a lawsuit.

As of Tuesday, Rolovich's team had not filed a lawsuit, Brionna Aho, a spokesperson for the state Office of the Attorney General, told the Seattle Times.

WSU spokesperson Phil Weiler could not be reached Tuesday, but he previously told cougfan.com, "... it would be premature (for the school) to comment on a suit not filed."

The firing on Oct. 18 was for cause, meaning WSU didn't intend to keep honoring the terms of Rolovich's five-year contract, on which three seasons remained, calling for $3.2 million per year, the highest public salary in the state.

Rolovich responded quickly. On Oct. 20, Fahling issued a statement relaying the coach's intention of taking legal action, no doubt to plea for the original terms of his contract, and he called the firing an attack on Rolovich's Catholic faith, the first time the nature of his religious objections to the vaccine had been publicly specified.

Two weeks later, Fahling filed the letter of "appeal," which made it clear that Rolovich wasn't trying to get his job back but rather laying the groundwork for the lawsuit.

Citing privacy laws, Chun and school president Kirk Schulz had responded vaguely when asked if the firing had been their decision or that of the exemption reviewers. But Fahling in his appeal said reviewers initially recommended an exemption before Chun "interfered" and blocked it.

Although Rolovich at Pac-12 media day in July 2021 had denied having anti-vaccination views, Fahling in the appeal accused Chun of having been "openly hostile" to the coach's "religious and scientific objections" to vaccines since May 2021.

Dale Grummert contributed to this report.

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @StephanSports.