College Football Coach Fired for Refusing COVID Vaccine Appeals to Ninth Circuit

Washington State University (WSU) fired a football coach in 2021 after he asked for a religious exemption to the state’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccine.

Nick Rolovich was the head coach of the WSU Cougars football team. Becket Law, his legal counsel, said the state permitted religious exemptions to the vaccine, but university officials apparently used his request to their advantage. From Becket (emphases added):

…WSU denigrated his beliefs and fired him rather than accommodate his beliefs. The firing was part of a premeditated effort by university officials to push Rolovich out over his religious convictions about the vaccine.

Becket said a review panel determined that the coach’s beliefs were sincere and granted the exemption. But the leadership reversed the decision.

Rolovich alleged that his firing violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. A lower court dismissed this claim and issued a summary judgment against him. According to the complaint, the court agreed with the school that Rolovich’s objection to the vaccine was not a sincerely held religious belief.

According to the complaint, however, Rolivich’s religious objection “was supported by extensive references to Catholic teaching, corroborated by his priest and bishop, and reaffirmed in sworn testimony.”

The lower court also held that accommodating Rolovich’s request would have presented an undue hardship to the school. He appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

“I gave my blood, sweat, and tears to WSU, only for the administration to fire me for my faith,” Rolovich said. “I wasn’t looking for a fight—I just asked to live out my beliefs. I hope the court will ensure that no coach or player can be forced to choose between their faith and the game they love.”

Rolovich works as a senior offensive assistant coach at the University of California at Berkeley.

Photo credit: Becket Fund