A lawyer for Brian Flores told a judge on Monday that he does not believe that the case should be resolved through the use of arbitration, because the league commissioner would be the arbiter.
Attorney Douglas Wigdor said the league was trying to force the claims of Flores and two other Black coaches. The Manhattan federal court hearing had no coaches present.
It was the first hearing for a lawsuit Flores filed in February, when he claimed the league wasrife with racism even as the NFL publicly condemned it.
The Miami Dolphins fired Flores in January after he led the team to a 24-25 record over three years, with two straight winning seasons, but missed out on the playoffs. He was hired as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His lawsuit was joined by two other people.
The majority of the players in the National Football League are Black.
According to the terms of employment agreements, the league believes that all claims in the lawsuit should be moved to arbitration.
When the claims in the lawsuit were first filed, the league said the claims were without merit. He said it would be unfair for the league to adjudicate the claims after he made over 120 million dollars in the last two years.
Lynch invited the three coaches and their lawyers to meet with league officials to discuss important issues surrounding racial inclusion in the league.
She said that they didn't meet with us today.
The league invited him to discuss racial issues, but he turned it down because there would be no judge present.
The judge has put the lawsuit on the slow track and set up a schedule for the submission of written arguments in August.
Once Wigdor informs the judge that he wants to seek permission to collect evidence before the issue is resolved, that schedule is likely to be delayed further.
The Associated Press contributed to the story.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
