Latest On Brian Flores Lawsuit

March was dominated by the spate of free-agent moves in the league, but there was also a key development in the ongoing lawsuit being led by Brian Flores. The ex-Dolphins head coach saw mixed results in an arbitration ruling used to settle his claims against the league and a number of its teams.

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled that Flores can pursue his racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and the Broncos, Giants and Texans in open court, the Associated Press’s Larry Neumeister detailed. The NFL had attempted to keep the matter internal and handle Flores’ claims through arbitration.

However, this will be the route taken to resolve his case against the Dolphins. The same applies to joint plaintiffs Steve Wilk And Ray Horton, who joined the lawsuit last April. The latter two added complaints against the Cardinals and Titans, respectively, over decisions that affected them in the past. Wilks argued in the lawsuit that Arizona hired him as a “bridge coach” in 2018 with no long-term prospects of retaining the position. Horton has claimed Tennessee conducted a “sham” head coaching interview with him in 2016.

Pursuant to the judge’s ruling, Wilks’ and Horton’s claims (and Flores’ outstanding claims against the Dolphins) will be resolved by arbitration based on their respective contractual statuses at the time of the alleged wrongdoing. In a statement, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league will “immediately commence arbitration … and attempt to dismiss the remaining claims.”

However, he added that the NFL “recognizes[s] there is still a lot to do” on the topic of diversity and inclusion. The judge’s decision was based in part on her concerns about league hiring practices, adding that this case brought “an unflattering spotlight” to the NFL in that regard. Flores, who piqued the interest of the head coach at the Cardinals before being hired as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, will now test most of his claims before a jury.

No decision has been announced as to whether or not he will become an NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will handle the arbitration cases personally. He is expected to do so, although the judge also noted she will have the power to review his results if he does not delegate to another member of the league. With the way now clear for elements of this case to be heard in court, it will remain a story to watch for the foreseeable future.