The NFL is reportedly hiring former USAG Loretta Lynch to defend the league against ex-Dolphins coach Brian Flores’s proposed class action lawsuit, which alleges discrimination and racism in hiring practices, according to Bloomberg Law.
Lynch is the former U.S Attorney General in the latter part of the Barack Obama administration. She will serve as counsel on the case in addition to Brad Karp, the chair of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Lynch is a partner in the New York-based firm’s Washington, D.C., office.
Flores is suing the league, three franchises and unidentified individuals, alleging discrimination and racism in hiring practices. Among the complaints listed in the filing, Flores said he took part in two “sham” interviews as teams attempted to comply with the Rooney Rule, citing the New York Giants and Denver Broncos in particular.
During his annual Super Bowl news conference, NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell talked about diversity issues in the league and his current stance on it.
“We won’t tolerate racism. We won’t tolerate discrimination. I found all of the allegations, whether they were based on racism or discrimination or the integrity of our game, all of those to me were very disturbing. They are very serious matters to us on all levels, and we need to make sure we get to the bottom of all of them.”
