Bombshell: Brian Flores Suing the NFL for Discrimination
A little more than three weeks after being fired by the Miami Dolphins and five days after being bypassed for the New York Giants coaching job, Brian Flores filed a class action suit Tuesday against the NFL, the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos and potential more teams, alleging racism in their hiring practices.
The 58-page document filed in the Southern District of New York included some startling claims by Flores, including a text message from Bill Belichick telling him the Giants already had decided to hire Brian Daboll three days BEFORE Flores was scheduled for an interview with team officials and a claim that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 for every loss during the 2019 season so that the team's position in the 2020 NFL draft would be improved.
"As described throughout this Class Action Complaint, the NFL remains rife with racism, particularly when it comes to the hiring and retention of Black Head Coaches, Coordinators and General Managers," the complaint reads. "Over the years, the NFL and its 32-member organizations (the “Teams”) have been given every chance to do the right thing. Rules have been implemented, promises made — but nothing has changed. In fact, the racial discrimination has only been made worse by the NFL’s disingenuous commitment to social equity.
"As such, in the face of the risks associated with combating racism and injustice, and in particular standing up to organizations as powerful as the NFL and its Teams, Mr. Flores has determined that the only way to effectuate real change is through the Courts, where the NFL’s conduct can be judged by a jury of Mr. Flores’ peers."
Flores' lawsuit, filed on the first day of Black History Month, comes after he has reportedly interviewed for the head-coaching openings with the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints, along with the Giants.
The former Dolphins head coach released a statement about the lawsuit.
"God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals," he wrote. "In making the decision to file the class action complaint, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game I love and has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come."
THE BRIAN FLORES LAWSUIT
Flores was fired Jan. 10, the day after completing his third season with the Dolphins.
The Dolphins went 5-11, 10-6 and 9-8 in his three seasons, a solid performance in terms of won-loss record when considering the rebuilding project the team undertook upon his arrival.
But this is where Flores' claim about Ross looking to lose games enters.
"In his first year, Miami’s gutted roster won five games despite many experts predicting an 0-16 season and one of the worst teams in NFL history," the lawsuit reads. "The Dolphins owner, Stephen Ross, was unhappy with this performance not because it was underperforming. To the contrary, Mr. Ross wanted the Mr. Flores to “tank” the season to put the team in position to secure the first pick in the draft. Indeed, during the 2019 season, Mr. Ross told Mr. Flores that he would pay him $100,000 for each game lost that year. Then, when the Dolphins started winning games, due in no small part to Mr. Flores’ coaching, Mr. Flores was told by the team’s General Manager, Chris Grier, that “Steve” was “mad” that Mr. Flores’ success in winning games that year was “compromising [the team’s] draft position.”
The Dolphins ended up with the fifth overall selection in the 2020 draft and selected quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, while the Cincinnati Bengals finished 2-14 and ended up with the first pick and the chance to select Joe Burrow.
Flores made in the lawsuit another significant allegation against Ross, suggesting the owner wanted him to recruit a prominent quarterback even though that quarterback was still under contract with another team — which would create a tampering situation.
Flores, according to the lawsuit, declined to do that and even walked off a yacht where he was scheduled to have lunch with Ross in the winter of 2020 after being told that quarterback, who reports are suggesting was Tom Brady, arrived at the marina.
The lawsuit alleges that Flores was treated after the yacht episode "with disdain and held out as someone who was noncompliant and difficult to work with."
The defendants in the lawsuit specifically were the NFL, the Dolphins, Giants and Broncos and "John Doe Teams 1 through 29 intended to identify NFL teams who have engaged in discriminatory conduct towards the Members of the Proposed Class.
THE RESPONSES FROM THE DOLPHINS, NFL AND GIANTS
The statement from the Miami Dolphins:
“We are aware of the lawsuit through the media reports that came out this afternoon. We vehemently deny any allegations of racial discrimination and are proud of the diversity and inclusion throughout our organization. The implication that we acted in a manner inconsistent with the integrity of the game is incorrect. We will be withholding further comment on the lawsuit at this time."
The statement from the NFL:
"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations. Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defense against these claims, which are without merit."
The statement from the Giants:
"We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll. We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour. Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach."
DEVELOPING STORY ...
