Pat Chun, WSU athletic director confirms that Nick Rolovich has been fired as Washington State coach. (1:27).
PULLMAN (Wash.) -- Washington Gov. Jay Inslee disputes Nick Rolovich’s claims that he targeted the former Washington State University football player with his statewide COVID-19 vaccination mandate for all public employees.
Mike Faulk, spokesperson for Inslee, stated that the coach was "just wrong," The Spokesman Review reported.
This is in response to Rolovich’s 34-page appeal to the university filed this Week. It argues that athletic director Pat Chun stated in an Aug. 19, conversation, that the governor "did [mandate] just for Coach Rolovich to come after Coach Rolovich."
In October, the coach was fired for failing to comply with the governor's directive that all state employees receive coronavirus vaccinations.
Rolovich (42), was the highest-paid state employee, earning more than $3million annually. His contract runs through 2025. The coach was terminated for cause and will not receive the remainder of his contract.
Rolovich's request for religious exemption was turned down last month. He claimed that he requested it based on his Catholic faith.
Vaccinations against COVID-19 have not been banned by the Catholic Church, although some Catholics oppose it. Pope Francis and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops both stated that all COVID-19 vaccinations are morally acceptable, and that Catholics have a responsibility to get vaccinated.
In the appeal letter, Chun also stated that he overturned a decision of the university's Human Resource Services to grant Rolovich religious exemption from the vaccination mandate.
"Based on Mr. Chun’s statement, Coach Rolovich understood "did this" to mean that Governor Inslee was trying force Coach Rolovich to accept his new mandate." The appeal stated that "Coach Rolovich was upset that the highest-paid and most prominent state employees had expressed personal or religious objections regarding his vaccine mandate."
Faulk stated that the state's goal was to "maximize vaccinations to save the most lives possible, all within the limits of the law."
"It is not uncommon to disallow a personal exemption when it comes to vaccines for deadly or highly transmissible virus. Faulk sent an email explaining that a philosophical or personal exemption for vaccines against mumps, rubella, and measles is not permitted in K-12.
A spokesperson for the university said that the school would not comment on the appeal letter.
