The Supreme Court has refused to step into Brian Flores’ discrimination lawsuit against the NFL, leaving the case on track to move forward in open court. The decision rejects the league’s push to send the dispute into arbitration and keeps lower-court rulings intact.
Flores, a Black former Miami Dolphins head coach, filed the suit in February 2022 and accused the NFL of discriminatory hiring practices against Black coaches. The case also includes former NFL coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, who later joined Flores in the legal challenge.
What the Supreme Court decided
The justices declined to hear the NFL’s appeal, which had argued that Flores should be required to use the league’s arbitration process instead of pursuing the case in New York court. Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented from the decision not to take up the matter.
That leaves the earlier rulings in place, including decisions from lower courts that sided with the plaintiffs. The NFL said it respected the Supreme Court’s choice and added that it is “fully prepared to defend ourselves as this matter proceeds.”
Why Flores brought the case
Flores alleged that the league was “rife with racism” in the way it handled opportunities for Black coaches. His lawsuit named the NFL and three teams: the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans.
He said the Broncos interviewed him in 2019, while the Giants and Texans interviewed him in 2022. Flores was fired by Miami shortly before the lawsuit was filed, after finishing with a 24-25 record over three seasons and no playoff appearances.
Other coaches joined the challenge
Wilks added his own claims by saying the Arizona Cardinals treated him as a “bridge coach” in 2018. He said the team made him interim head coach after firing another coach, then passed him over for the full-time job without giving him a real chance to succeed.
Horton also brought claims tied to his time with the Tennessee Titans, saying the team did not give him a genuine interview for the head coaching position in 2016. Horton’s last NFL coaching job came in 2019, while Wilks was fired as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator in December.
What happens next
Flores is now the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator, but his legal fight against the NFL remains active. His attorneys, David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor, said they were pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision and argued that the commissioner cannot serve as arbitrator in discrimination claims against the league and its teams.
The case now moves forward in court, where the plaintiffs will continue pressing their allegations that the NFL’s hiring system has disadvantaged Black coaches.
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