Thread by @WigdorLaw

NEWS: On the first day of Black History Month, former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has filed a race discrimination class action to shine a light on the racial injustices that take place inside the @NFL.

Read it here: bit.ly/3GhRFjl

#NFL #BlackHistoryMonth

Nearly 20 years ago, the NFL adopted the Rooney Rule to address the lack of Black head coaches in the league.

The rule requires NFL teams to interview diverse candidates for vacant head coach, general manager, coordinator & other senior roles.

It hasn't worked.

Roughly 70% of @NFL players are Black. Meanwhile, out of 32 teams:

-Not a single team has a Black owner

-Only one team (3%) has a Black head coach

-Three teams (9%) have a Black QB coach

-Four teams (12%) have a Black offensive coordinator

-Six teams (19%) have a Black GM

The NFL does not interview Black candidates for these roles in good faith, thus creating the stigma that they are mere "Rooney Rule candidates" regardless of their qualifications, the class action complaint alleges.

Unfortunately, Coach Flores knows this all too well.

Last week, Mr. Flores was reportedly a front-runner for the @Giants head coach position. He thought he had a real shot at it—until he received these texts from @Patriots head coach Bill Belichick just days before his interview, the lawsuit states.

In a humiliating act of alleged racism, Mr. Flores was forced to sit for an extensive interview, knowing that the Giants had already chosen Brian Daboll, a white man, for the job.

Mr. Flores now brings this class action to effectuate real change for the future.

Mr. Flores is represented by @WigdorLaw and @Eepnyc.

Below is a joint statement from Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis.

#BrianFlores #BHM