Brian Flores filed a class action lawsuit against the NFL in which he alleges racial discrimination in employment; The NFL says Flores’ claims are “baseless”; Flores also claims that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 for every loss in the 2019 season.
Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores is suing the NFL and three of its teams, alleging racist hiring practices could be a game changer for the league and the sport.
The NFL and the three teams in question have denied the allegations.
In his class action lawsuit, Flores suggested that the NFL and team owners run the business like a “plantation” and also criticized the league for not adequately addressing racism regarding the hiring of black coaches and general managers.
The lawsuit, filed on the first day of Black History Month in America, begins with a text message from New England coach Bill Belichick congratulating Flores on getting a job with the Giants.
In the correspondence, Flores subsequently asks Belichick if he was referring to him or former Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Brian Daball, after which Belichick realized his mistake and informed Flores that the Giants were hiring Daball.
Flores also accuses the Broncos of conducting a “bogus” interview in 2019, alleging that then-general manager John Elway and team president/general manager Joe Ellis arrived “completely disheveled” and an hour late, insisting he was being charged. interviews only Denver and New York in to make sure the teams abide by Rooney’s rule.
He goes on to claim that Dolphins owner Steven Ross offered him $100,000 for each loss in Miami’s 2019 season to put the team in an advantageous position in the draft, noting that his refusal to agree was the reason for his dismissal at the end of the 2021 season.
The lawsuit also alleges that Ross asked Flores to violate the league’s rules on rigging by meeting with a “famous quarterback” in front of free agency to bring him to the Dolphins, but Flores refused.
“God has given me a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is greater than my personal goals,” Flores said in a statement released by the law firm representing him. “In deciding today to file a class action lawsuit, I understand that I may be taking risks coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for me and my family. I sincerely hope that by speaking out against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure positive change for future generations.”
