Brain Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL secures a huge win, and it could spell disaster for the league
The lawsuit Brian Flores filed against the National Football League continues to take positive steps forward for the plaintiff.
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores filed a discrimination lawsuit after he was fired by the Miami Dolphins in January of 2022. The initial lawsuit had Steve Wilks and Ray Horton joining him as co-defendants, with six teams mentioned.
Now, 31 of a possible 32 teams have been subpoenaed for materials regarding their hiring practices. That revelation came last week, helping Flores take the next step with his lawsuit.
Supreme Court refuses to hear Brian Flores lawsuit, will go to trial
The NFL has been working diligently to prevent this from going to court, and wants it to be heard in arbitration. The biggest reason for that is the information in the lawsuit won’t become public, which is what the NFL is afraid of.
On Tuesday, the United States Supreme Court rebuffed the league’s appeal for them to hear the case. It will continue proceeding in open court, which is a big win for Flores.
The NFL has argued Flores should go through arbitration rather than the legal system, but lower courts have sided with the plaintiffs. The league said it respected the Supreme Court decision, which allows lower-court rulings to stay in place, but is “fully prepared to defend ourselves as this matter proceeds.”
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert
David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor, attorneys for the plaintiffs, said they were pleased with the decision. “The NFL must now accept that its commissioner cannot be the arbitrator over discrimination claims against the league and its teams. We look forward to litigating these claims in court,” they said in a statement.
Flores continues to collect big wins in this process is a big deal. Being that we are four years into the lawsuit, this could speed up the process, and potentially make a serious impact on the hiring practices of the league for years to come.