About to learn how the sausage is made

[Observer11]

Rolo filing suit. Allegations against Chun.

Discovery will be illuminating.

Former football coach Nick Rolovich planning to sue WSU over termination - KXLY

Former head football coach Nick Rolovich is planning to file a lawsuit against Washington State University over his termination.

www.kxly.com

 

[COUGinNCW]

100% clear this was in the works before the mandate.

 

[chugspig]

It was well known he had lawyers ready since the spring/summer. Rolo has been planning for this for a while.

 

[moxeecoug]

I hope Rolovich wins this lawsuit. Just like I hope the state employees and others who lost their jobs on the monday massacre sues inslee and the state and wins big.

 

[Observer11]

100% clear this was in the works before the mandate.

Chun's scheming/bad behavior or Rolo having legal representation?

Both is an acceptable answer.

Get the popcorn.

 

[Observer11]

Unfortunately, the only losers here are going to be the taxpayers. WSU/the state will settle to avoid bad PR and discovery.

Which, really is too bad unless some enterprising journalist (they still exist somewhere, right?) actually does some investigative work and FOIA the crap out of this. Might as well get something for all the taxpayer money that is going to be wasted on all this.

Better to keep the unwashed in the dark.

 

[kougkurt]

AD’s around the country are running for cover.

 

[WillieThePimp]

I hope Rolovich wins this lawsuit. Just like I hope the state employees and others who lost their jobs on the monday massacre sues inslee and the state and wins big.

Not likely as a Supreme Court ruling allows for vaccine mandates.

It’s more likely he’ll just piss away a lot of money while his lawyer gets lots of free advertising.

 

[Observer11]

Not likely as a Supreme Court ruling allows for vaccine mandates.

It’s more likely he’ll just piss away a lot of money while his lawyer gets lots of free advertising.

That's funny. This isn't going to court unless Rolo and his guy want it to go to court.

The university will settle. Cheaper, less public exposure, less risk.

That's the way of the world, pharma pimp.

 

[95coug]

Not a surprise at all.

In the end, even if it’s true that Chun wanted to get rid of him, the termination was in accordance with the mandate. Rolo made it easy.

If the suit doesn’t name Inslee and the state also, he didn’t get a good lawyer.

 

[COUGinNCW]

Chun's scheming/bad behavior or Rolo having legal representation?

Both is an acceptable answer.

Get the popcorn.

Don’t see how they can settle either. Too much at stake with all the others who will pile on. I’m buying a popcorn maker. This is going to go for a long time.

Any publicity is good publicity still apply?

 

[Observer11]

Not a surprise at all.

In the end, even if it’s true that Chun wanted to get rid of him, the termination was in accordance with the mandate. Rolo made it easy.

If the suit doesn’t name Inslee and the state also, he didn’t get a good lawyer.

The suit hasn't been filed yet.

 

[Observer11]

Don’t see how they can settle either. Too much at stake with all the others who will pile on. I’m buying a popcorn maker. This is going to go for a long time.

Any publicity is good publicity still apply?

Nah -the university doesn't want the deep dive behind the curtain. My bet is this dies before discovery.

They'll settle, pay Rolo and the others a chunk of change in exchange for NDAs, then issue a statement to the effect of 'we are reviewing our internal processes blah blah blah'.

 

[Brent H.]

Not a surprise at all.

In the end, even if it’s true that Chun wanted to get rid of him, the termination was in accordance with the mandate. Rolo made it easy.

If the suit doesn’t name Inslee and the state also, he didn’t get a good lawyer.

It says "all parties involved." Inslee and the state have to be one of the parties.

 

[79COUG]

So Chun and some donors go on a "secret trip" last July at the height of the covid lockdown. Appears Rolo didn't go (wasn't invited?) and Chun and other donors get Covid.
Question for you lawyers... what does this have to do with anything?

 

[CougPatrol]

100% clear this was in the works before the mandate.

I just posted as much in another thread. I had *heard* that he and his wife didn't care for Pullman, particularly given last years awful 1st season, and the mandate provided him with an opportunity to bolt.

 

[95coug]

Nah -the university doesn't want the deep dive behind the curtain. My bet is this dies before discovery.

They'll settle, pay Rolo and the others a chunk of change in exchange for NDAs, then issue a statement to the effect of 'we are reviewing our internal processes blah blah blah'.

That’s the typical MO, and I suspect it’ll still happen. But it’s not hard to imagine Inslee telling Ferguson to fight this battle. He doesn’t care if WSU has dirty laundry, and I think he’d sell out Trudy and the grandkids if he thought it would gain him votes…never mind Chun and Schulz.

Seriously, if it looked like things were going the wrong way, does anyone have trouble seeing him roll over and make a statement like ‘the process was supposed to be fair and equitable, and 99% of employers were, but WSU wasn’t’?

But, neither side wants this to go to trial. WSU doesn’t want anyone to see behind the curtain, and at trial Rolo loses. This is his play for a settlement that WSU will give as long as Inslee stays out of the way.

As an added bonus to WSU, I’m pretty sure a litigated settlement comes from insurance, not from the budget.

 

[COUGinNCW]

So Chun and some donors go on a "secret trip" last July at the height of the covid lockdown. Appears Rolo didn't go (wasn't invited?) and Chun and other donors get Covid.
Question for you lawyers... what does this have to do with anything?

Right? BFD unless there’s more to the story. And a lot if restrictions were lifted last summer, especially if they went out of state.

 

[acgcoug]

Rolovich to sue over firing, cites 'vindictive' AD

Former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich plans to sue the university for being fired for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

www.espn.com

 

[kougkurt]

So all this pub helps recruiting, right?

 

[Brent H.]

So Chun and some donors go on a "secret trip" last July at the height of the covid lockdown. Appears Rolo didn't go (wasn't invited?) and Chun and other donors get Covid.
Question for you lawyers... what does this have to do with anything?

He went, he just didn't get Covid like the rest of them did.

 

[79COUG]

Right? BFD unless there’s more to the story. And a lot if restrictions were lifted last summer, especially if they went out of state.

Im just curious if, in a court, this could be viewed as Chun keeping Rolo in the dark, making him an outsider, so to speak? And why the use of the word "secret"? To show that for some reason Chun didn't want Rolo to know about it so he could surround himself with donors and bad mouth Rolo?
I'm guessing those donors will pretty pissed if they get drug in to court to testify. Big money hates getting on the witness stand.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Right? BFD unless there’s more to the story. And a lot if restrictions were lifted last summer, especially if they went out of state.

It shows Chuns hypocrisy regarding his dealings with the pandemic, that he picks and chooses how and when he wants to enforce rules.

Not sure that that's relevant, though.

 

[79COUG]

Ok,

He went, he just didn't get Covid like the rest of them did.

Ok my bad. I misread that part.

 

[COUGinNCW]

It shows Chuns hypocrisy regarding his dealings with the pandemic, that he picks and chooses how and when he wants to enforce rules.

Not sure that that's relevant, though.

I don’t see how it’s relevant either, hence the BFD, but I’m no lawyer though I did take business law 30+ years ago and slept pretty well last night.

 

[Observer11]

Im just curious if, in a court, this could be viewed as Chun keeping Rolo in the dark, making him an outsider, so to speak? And why the use of the word "secret"? To show that for some reason Chun didn't want Rolo to know about it so he could surround himself with donors and bad mouth Rolo?
I'm guessing those donors will pretty pissed if they get drug in to court to testify. Big money hates getting on the witness stand.

They already are.

Some of the 'they' any way.

 

[dgibbons]

It was well known he had lawyers ready since the spring/summer. Rolo has been planning for this for a while.

So has WSU and the State of Washington.

 

[dgibbons]

Not likely as a Supreme Court ruling allows for vaccine mandates.

It’s more likely he’ll just piss away a lot of money while his lawyer gets lots of free advertising.

In 1905 there were not things like rapid tests. And the SCOTUS is pretty conservative now. The least restrictive means test still exists.

As I've mentioned, every other state has some kind of a testing alternative to the mandate, or (Oregon) has only narrow classes of employees subject to the mandate without a testing alternative. I would like to hear an AAG explain why someone that is tested periodically is a menace to society, but someone that is vaccinated and not tested is not.

 

[dgibbons]

That's funny. This isn't going to court unless Rolo and his guy want it to go to court.

The university will settle. Cheaper, less public exposure, less risk.

That's the way of the world, pharma pimp.

I don't sue the state, but my recollection is anyone wanting to do so must go through an administrative claim process before filing the lawsuit. So, that means you get saber rattling about "legal action", then it goes quiet for the administrative stuff, then if the aggrieved party is still aggrieved, you have a lawsuit.

 

[dgibbons]

Not a surprise at all.

In the end, even if it’s true that Chun wanted to get rid of him, the termination was in accordance with the mandate. Rolo made it easy.

If the suit doesn’t name Inslee and the state also, he didn’t get a good lawyer.

The suit won't get filed for some time.

 

[dgibbons]

Don’t see how they can settle either. Too much at stake with all the others who will pile on. I’m buying a popcorn maker. This is going to go for a long time.

Any publicity is good publicity still apply?

The dirty laundry will be interesting. If it gets that far.

 

[dgibbons]

So Chun and some donors go on a "secret trip" last July at the height of the covid lockdown. Appears Rolo didn't go (wasn't invited?) and Chun and other donors get Covid.
Question for you lawyers... what does this have to do with anything?

If Chun was violating university policy, state mandates, or whatever regarding gatherings, then he's guilty too and is obviously not getting fired. Arbitrary enforcement of rules against Rolovich only.

Not sure it goes very far, but that appears to be the angle.

 

[dgibbons]

I just posted as much in another thread. I had *heard* that he and his wife didn't care for Pullman, particularly given last years awful 1st season, and the mandate provided him with an opportunity to bolt.

Sure, but if you just crap the bed you get paid and get to leave town.

 

[Observer11]

I don't sue the state, but my recollection is anyone wanting to do so must go through an administrative claim process before filing the lawsuit. So, that means you get saber rattling about "legal action", then it goes quiet for the administrative stuff, then if the aggrieved party is still aggrieved, you have a lawsuit.

It's HR/Insurance company first. The actuaries figure out the number. Perhaps the state is self-insured and have their own risk management crew.

Pretty much the same as an auto insurance claim. If the aggrieved don't like it, they assess risk/payoff for a higher number.

My guess is by naming Chun personally, it puts the legal defense on his dime and not the state. Condon had a similar deal in Spokane if I recall.

 

[ShockandAweWSU]

I highly highly think this bad boy will not get a settlement. Chun has been treating Rolo like shit long before the mandate. I'm sure he has many receipts as he has read the tea leaves for several months. If this was just about $$ then he would get the vaccine. This is more about the principle to him and how he and certain staff members have been treated unfairly for quite some time. He's going to air all of Chun's dirty laundry.

 

[425cougfan]

I highly highly think this bad boy will not get a settlement. Chun has been treating Rolo like shit long before the mandate. I'm sure he has many receipts as he has read the tea leaves for several months. If this was just about $$ then he would get the vaccine. This is more about the principle to him and how he and certain staff members have been treated unfairly for quite some time. He's going to air all of Chun's dirty laundry.

Not arguing with you, but curious -- any insight into how Chun has been unfair with him? Even if Chun was fairly aloof, or even an outright jerk to him in some way (hard to see what that would be or what would prompt it; if anything, I could just see a lack of contact or some distance), is that really all that damaging to come out? Is the suggestion that other than in connection with the vaccine issue, Chun somehow decided that he didn't like Rolo--the guy he had hired recently--and was a big meanie to him?

 

[CougEd]

Unfortunately, the only losers here are going to be the taxpayers. WSU/the state will settle to avoid bad PR and discovery.

Which, really is too bad unless some enterprising journalist (they still exist somewhere, right?) actually does some investigative work and FOIA the crap out of this. Might as well get something for all the taxpayer money that is going to be wasted on all this.

Better to keep the unwashed in the dark.

I agree with half of what you said . The losers will be the tax payers. However I think you are shortsighted thinking they will settle. If they settle that means other lawsuits will come after the state and they will settle . WSU and the state will spend the nine million they conceivably owe him to defend this case .

 

[Observer11]

I agree with half of what you said . The losers will be the tax payers. However I think you are shortsighted thinking they will settle. If they settle that means other lawsuits will come after the state and they will settle . WSU and the state will spend the nine million they conceivably owe him to defend this case .

If i was a betting man (which I'm not except with pretend internet money), I'd say the odds are about 60/40 in favor a settlement.

Unless Chun/WSU come with a ridiculous lowball offer and then it's on like Donkey Kong.

There's a PR/donor factor to consider. This isn't like an uninsured motorist blowing a stop sign and crashing into a one's new car....which, in fact, I've had happen.

 

[CougPatrol]

Sure, but if you just crap the bed you get paid and get to leave town.

Yea, you have to endure Pullman for another 2 seasons AND cripple your coaching resume. No coach wants to intentionally lose games and disappoint the players.

I think this "opportunity" tickled his fancy. He immediately gets out of his contract with a winning record in Pullman. He gets to "fight the man" on an issue that's obviously important to him, and he might even walk away with some settlement money.

I actually don't think Rolo's coaching career will be seriously impacted by this. It'll take a while, but once it blows over, certain schools with certain fan bases will take a chance on him. Wyoming would hire him. Utah State would hire him. Nevada or UNLV would hire him.

 

[Observer11]

Yea, you have to endure Pullman for another 2 seasons AND cripple your coaching resume. No coach wants to intentionally lose games and disappoint the players.

I think this "opportunity" tickled his fancy. He immediately gets out of his contract with a winning record in Pullman. He gets to "fight the man" on an issue that's obviously important to him, and he might even walk away with some settlement money.

I actually don't think Rolo's coaching career will be seriously impacted by this. It'll take a while, but once it blows over, certain schools with certain fan bases will take a chance on him. Wyoming would hire him. Utah State would hire him. Nevada or UNLV would hire him.

it's not like Rolo had an affair with a big time booster or something...

And even then, that guy got a big fat perpetual renewal contract by his homey for his next gig.

Ole!