Trump's week in review: Pentagon reverses Mormon designation; Secure America Act signed
3. DOJ sides with Catholic football coach
In an amicus brief filed before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice sided with Catholic former football coach Nick Rolovich in his ongoing litigation contesting his firing from Washington State University for declining to comply with a mandate to take the COVID-19 vaccine because of his concern that receiving the shot would make him complicit in abortion.
The DOJ maintains that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington incorrectly ruled against Rolovich and contends that his termination violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their religious beliefs.
“The district court summarily and improperly second-guessed the sincerity of Rolovich’s religious beliefs by focusing only on his secular reasons for not taking the vaccine. These errors require reversing the district court’s conclusion that Rolovich failed to provide evidence based on which a reasonable fact finder could conclude that he can prove a prima facie Title VII religious accommodation claim,” the brief stated.
The law firm Becket, which is representing Rolovich, expressed optimism that the appellate court would side with Rolovich in a statement published Wednesday.
“Washington State fired Coach Rolovich halfway through a winning season for exactly one reason: it disliked his beliefs,” said Becket Senior Counsel Joseph Davis. “That’s religious discrimination, plain and simple, and we’re confident the Ninth Circuit will say so.”
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
