The Supreme Court has turned down the NFL’s appeal to prevent the discrimination lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores from proceeding to trial. The NFL had sought to have the case resolved through arbitration, but the justices opted not to intervene in favor of this approach.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh stood alone in dissenting from the decision, disagreeing with the majority’s choice not to hear the case.
Earlier, lower courts had ruled in favor of Flores and additional plaintiffs involved in the class-action lawsuit against the NFL and several of its teams.
Flores, who is Black, initiated the lawsuit against the league in February 2022, merely a month after his dismissal from the Dolphins. During his three-season tenure with the team, Flores amassed a 24-25 record and currently holds the position of defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. He has accused the NFL’s hiring practices of being “rife with racism.”
Flores, who is black, sued the league in February 2022, about a month after he was fired by the Dolphins.
Flores, who had record of 24-25 in his three seasons coaching the Dolphins and currently serves as the Minnesota Vikingsâ defensive coordinator, alleged the leagueâs hiring practices were ârife with racism.â
He was later joined in the lawsuit by fellow black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton.
âThe NFL must now accept that its commissioner cannot be the arbitrator over discrimination claims against the league and its teams,â David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor, attorneys for the coaches, said in a statement.
âWe look forward to litigating these claims in court.”
The NFL said it respected the Supreme Court decision but is âfully prepared to defend ourselves as this matter proceeds.â
Flores is suing the NFL as well as the Denver Broncos, the New York Giants and the Houston Texans â teams that refused to hire him following interviews for their head coaching openings.
Wilks, who was fired as the New York Jetsâ defensive coordinator in December, joined the lawsuit by claiming the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 hired him as a âbridge coachâ before passing him over for the full-time role. He claims the Cardinals didnât provide him with a realistic chance to succeed.
Horton, who last coached in the NFL in 2019, alleged the Tennessee Titans didnât offer him a genuine interview for the head coaching position in 2016.
With Post wires
