Supreme Court Allows NFL Racial Discrimination Lawsuit

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from the National Football League, allowing a high-profile racial discrimination lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to proceed toward a public trial in federal court. The decision, issued on Tuesday, leaves in place a lower court ruling that rejected the NFL's attempt to force the case into a private arbitration process overseen by Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Flores, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, filed the lawsuit in February 2022. He alleges systemic racial discrimination within the league, specifically citing his termination by the Dolphins despite posting back-to-back winning seasons. His suit also accuses the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of discriminatory hiring practices, claiming they conducted "sham" interviews with him merely to satisfy the league's Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operations positions. Flores later added claims against the Houston Texans, alleging the team backed away from his candidacy in retaliation for filing the lawsuit.

Two other Black coaches, Steve Wilks...