NFL: Two more coaches join Flores’ discrimination lawsuit
Two extra coaches have joined former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores’s class motion lawsuit alleging discrimination towards Black candidates for top-level teaching and administration jobs within the Nationwide Soccer League (NFL), in accordance with an amended grievance filed on Thursday.
Flores, who’s Black, was fired as head coach of the Dolphins in January after back-to-back seasons with profitable data. In February he filed his grievance in Manhattan federal courtroom, accusing the NFL and its 32 groups of racial discrimination.
The league has beforehand mentioned Flores’s case lacks advantage and the Dolphins sought arbitration. Flores is now senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Within the amended grievance, two new plaintiffs – former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and league veteran Ray Horton – had been included.
The grievance mentioned Wilks was not given any “significant probability to succeed” in his function with the Cardinals, which he held for the 2018 season, earlier than being “unfairly and discriminatorily fired” in December.
The Cardinals mentioned the selections they made after the 2018 season had been powerful.
“However as we mentioned on the time, they had been completely pushed by what was in the very best pursuits of our group and essential for workforce enchancment,” they mentioned in an announcement.
“We’re assured that the information replicate that and display that these allegations are unfaithful.”
Horton was a defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans earlier than interviewing for the top coach job in January, 2016. Within the grievance, Horton mentioned the interview was a “sham” performed to adjust to the “Rooney Rule,” which stipulates minority candidates should be thought-about for high teaching and workers jobs.
The Titans didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The NFL declined to touch upon the 2 plaintiffs added.
Flores has additionally accused Dolphins proprietor Stephen Ross of providing him $100,000 for every loss in 2019 as incentive to assist safe a excessive draft choose. Flores mentioned he refused to conform. Learn full story
The Denver Broncos and the New York Giants had been additionally named in Flores’s lawsuit, which says the 2 groups performed sham interviews with him to fulfill the Rooney Rule.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; extra reporting by Jonathan Stempel, enhancing by Ed Osmond)
