FEDERAL JUDGE REJECTS NFL BID TO MOVE FLORES LAWSUIT TO ARBITRATION

A federal judge has rejected the National Football League's attempt to move Brian Flores' lawsuit into arbitration for a third time. Judge Valerie Caproni ruled against the league's motion, stating in court documents that the defendants' arguments "have run its course". The judge noted that whilst the defendants remain free to pursue arbitration through further legal action, claims about arbitration's efficiency "ring hollow" when weighed against the substance of the case itself.

Flores, the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator, brought the lawsuit alongside co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, alleging racial bias in the hiring of National Football League coaches. The case prompted Flores' legal team to subpoena 31 teams for documentation. The NFL had previously attempted to move the case to arbitration twice before; the Supreme Court blocked one such motion, whilst a previous court ruling and an appeals court ordered the case to remain in court. A complicating factor in arbitration is that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell serves as arbitrator whilst also appearing as a defendant in the case.

Flores was dismissed from his position as head coach of the Miami Dolphins after three seasons. In his lawsuit, he accused the New York Giants and Denver Broncos of conducting "sham interviews" to satisfy the Rooney Rule, which requires teams to interview a specified number of minority candidates for coaching vacancies. Flores also alleged that team owner Stephen Ross offered him £100,000 per game lost to secure the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The case is expected to proceed through federal court.