Nick Rolovich, head football coach of the Washington State Cougars, was fired for cause Monday after … [+]
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Major universities are making news as they implement mandated Covid-19 vaccinations or enforce vaccine requirements that have already been put in place. Two of the highest profile examples occurred in the past few days – first at the public universities in Arizona, all three of which adopted vaccine mandates, and then at Washington State University, which fired its football coach for refusing to get vaccinated.
Arizona’s Public Universities Put Vaccine Mandate In Place
Arizona’s three public universities announced late last week that they will require their employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The requirement comes in response to President Biden’s Executive Order requiring institutions that contract with the federal government to comply with guidance from the Safer Federal Workforce Task Force.
The University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University will require all employees to show proof that they are fully vaccinated by December 8 unless they’ve been granted a religious or disability exemption.
University of Arizona president Robert C. Robbins wrote in an email that the University has hundreds of millions of dollars in federal contracts, involving research, employment, and educational efforts, and already has received amended federal contracts that include the vaccine requirement.
Citing those fiscal realities, Robbins added “While we respect individual opinions regarding the vaccine, we will continue with these mission-critical endeavors and will be complying with this new requirement.”
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, a Republican, is reported to be reviewing the universities’ actions to determine whether he might intervene. According to a spokesperson, Ducey believes the vaccines are safe and effective, but also insists that they should be a personal decision.
Ducey had issued an executive order in June prohibiting the public universities and Arizona’s community colleges from requiring students to be vaccinated or wear masks in order to participate in learning.
How many other universities across the nation will take similar actions to those in Arizona now becomes a major question. Pennsylvania State University announced last week it would require all employees at its flagship University Park campus to submit proof of vaccinations by Dec. 8 in order to comply with Biden’s order mandating vaccination for federal contractors.
Washington State Fires Football Coach and Four Assistants
Washington State University (WSU) fired its football coach, Nick Rolovich, and four of his assistants Monday after they refused to comply with the state’s Covid-19 vaccination mandate.
Washington State athletic director Pat Chun said WSU had “initiated the separation process” with Rolovich and the four assistant coaches for not complying with the state of Washington’s mandate that all state employees be fully vaccinated by Monday.
The four assistants who were being terminated were defensive tackles coach Ricky Logo, cornerbacks coach John Richardson, quarterbacks coach Craig Stutzmann and offensive line coach Mark Weber.
Rolovich’s firing came after protracted conversations with university leaders about his defiance, which he claimed was due to unspecified religious reasons.
“I just want to emphasize: People made a choice, and they had months to make that choice,” Washington State University’s president, Kirk Schulz, said Monday night. “This wasn’t something that just all of a sudden popped up.”
Rolovich’s dismissal came pursuant to the requirements established by Washington Governor Jay Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.1, which prohibits “Any State Agency from permitting any Worker to engage in work for the agency after October 18, 2021, if the Worker has not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and provided proof thereof to the agency.”
Rolovich, who was the highest paid public employees in Washington, was fired for cause, meaning that he will not receive the remaining $3.6 million buyout of his contract. WSU defensive coordinator Jake Dickert was named acting head coach.
