Former WSU football coach Nick Rolovich lost his lawsuit against the university that stemmed from his firing for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The decision from Judge Thomas Rice of the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington comes three years after Rolovich was let go midway through the 2021 season. At the time, state employees were mandated to be vaccinated against coronavirus, a requirement later rescinded by the state.

Three years after Washington State University fired its head football coach, a federal court has said the university had the right to do so.

A federal judge has ruled in favor of Washington State University (WSU) in a lawsuit brought by former head football coach Nicholas Rolovich, according to court documents filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Judge Thomas O. Rice granted WSU’s motion for summary judgment, effectively ending the case.

PULLMAN, Wash. — Former Washington State University (WSU) head football coach Nicholas Rolovich has lost his lawsuit against the university. On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ruled in favor of WSU, upholding Rolovich's termination for refusing to comply with the university’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Rolovich alleged that WSU had violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) by discriminating against him based on his religious beliefs. He also claimed breach of contract and wage withholding, arguing that WSU lacked just cause for his dismissal.