Since Brian Flores filed his class action lawsuit against the NFL and their teams on Tuesday, many teams have come out and categorically denied the allegations made by Flores.
The NFL released their own statement just hours after the lawsuit went public.
On Saturday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent out a memo of his own claiming that they will “reevaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion, including as they relate to gender.”
In response Flores’ lawyers, Doug Wigdor and John Elefterakis, released another statement, Saturday morning.
“Unfortunately, immediately after Coach Flores filed the class action lawsuit, the NFL and various teams reflexively, and without any investigation, denied the detailed allegations set forth in the 60 page complaint,” they wrote. “As a result, when we spoke to the national media the following day we made clear that the NFL should view this class action lawsuit as an opportunity to engage in real chance and confront the obvious reality. The statement made today by the Commissioner is, on the surface, a positive first step, but we suspect that this is more of a public relations ploy than real commitment to change. For too many years, the NFL has hidden behind the cover foundations that were supposed to protect the rights of Black players and coaches, all while letting systemic racial bias fester in its front offices. The NFL is now rolling out the same playbook yet again and that is precisely why this lawsuit was filed. We would be pleased to talk to the Commissioner about real change, but unfortunately, he has not reached out to us to engage in such a discussion. In fact, nobody from the NFL has reached out to us. Absent such a discussion followed by unbiased and concrete change, we believe that a court or governmental agency must order a federal monitor to oversee the NFL as the NFL cannot continue to police itself.”
Flores and lawyers are continuing to put pressure on the league in hopes of some real change to come from this.
