Brian Flores’ discrimination case against NFL can move to court, judge rules

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Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores' discrimination claims against the NFL and three teams will be allowed to move to court after a federal judge ruled against arbitration.

Judge Valerie Caproni's decision clears the path for Flores to have his claims heard out in a trial. The two other coaches who joined the lawsuit will be required to submit to arbitration.

The league had tried to move the Flores claims to arbitration, citing contracts that coaches had signed.

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Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores before a game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium on Jan. 9, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Last year, Flores sued the NFL and said the league was "rife with racism," especially as it pertains to its coaching hiring and promotion practices

Caproni wrote that the descriptions by the coaches of their experiences of racial discrimination in a league with a "long history of systematic discrimination toward Black players, coaches, and managers — are incredibly troubling."

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The judge also noted it was "difficult to understand" how there was only one Black head coach at the time Flores filed his lawsuit — longtime Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. 

After the latest hiring cycle, there are currently three African-American head coaches: new Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, while Tomlin and Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles retained their respective positions. There are 32 teams in the