Roger Goodell addresses ‘unacceptable’ lack of diversity in NFL head coaching ranks after Brian Flores sues

Roger Goodell addressed variety within the NFL’s teaching ranks in a memo to groups Saturday, days after the league mentioned claims made in Brian Flores’ class-action racial discrimination lawsuit have been “with out advantage.”

The NFL commissioner underscored the league’s dedication to variety however mentioned the dearth of racial fairness within the teaching ranks was “unacceptable.” As of the weekend, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin was the lone Black head coach within the league. 

Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders and Robert Saleh of the New York Jets are the opposite minority head coaches within the league. Rivera’s dad and mom have been Puerto Rican and Mexican and Saleh is of Lebanese descent and a practising Muslim.

“Racism and any type of discrimination is opposite to the NFL’s values,” the Goodell memo states. “We’ve made vital efforts to advertise variety and adopted quite a few insurance policies and packages, which have produced optimistic adjustments in lots of areas, nonetheless we should acknowledge that — notably with respect to go coaches — the outcomes have been unacceptable.”

“We’ll reevaluate and look at all insurance policies, pointers and initiatives regarding variety, fairness and inclusion, together with as they relate to gender. We’re retaining outdoors specialists to help on this overview and also will solicit enter from present and former gamers and coaches, advocates and different authorities on this space. Our objective is straightforward: make our efforts and people of the golf equipment simpler in order that actual and tangible outcomes might be achieved.

“We perceive the considerations expressed by coach Flores and others this week. Whereas the authorized course of strikes ahead, we won’t wait to reassess and modify our methods to make sure that they’re according to our values and longstanding dedication to variety, fairness and inclusion. Particularly, we acknowledge the necessity to perceive the lived experiences of numerous members of the NFL household to make sure that everybody has entry to alternative and is handled with respect and dignity.”

Goodell additionally addressed claims Flores made about allegedly being supplied hundreds of {dollars} to lose video games whereas he was with the Miami Dolphins in 2019, a declare the staff emphatically denied.

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“We additionally ask to take critically any concern regarding the integrity of NFL video games,” Goodell mentioned. “These issues might be reviewed totally and independently. We anticipate that these unbiased specialists will obtain full cooperation from everybody related to the league or any member membership as this work proceeds.

“There may be a lot work to do, and we are going to embrace this second and seize the chance to turn into a stronger, extra inclusive league.”

Flores filed the lawsuit towards the Dolphins, New York Giants, Denver Broncos and the NFL. He claimed to obtain “sham” interviews whereas in search of the Giants and Broncos jobs and alleged he was solely being interviewed by groups so they might fulfill the Rooney Rule, which requires teaching interviews for minorities. 

Whereas every staff denied Flores’ claims, the NFL mentioned the allegations have been “with out advantage” however didn’t say if an investigation is forthcoming.

“The NFL and our golf equipment are deeply dedicated to making sure equitable employment practices and proceed to make progress in offering equitable alternatives all through our organizations,” the league mentioned. “Variety is core to every part we do, and there are few points on which our golf equipment and our inner management staff spend extra time. We’ll defend towards these claims, that are with out advantage.”

On Saturday, Flores’ attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and John Elefterakis put out a press release in response to Goodell’s memo.

“Sadly, instantly after coach Flores filed the class-action lawsuit, the NFL and numerous groups reflexively, and with none investigation, denied the detailed allegations set forth within the 60-page criticism,” the assertion mentioned. “Because of this, after we spoke to the nationwide media the next day, we made clear that the NFL ought to view this class-action lawsuit as a possibility to have interaction in actual change and confront the plain actuality. The assertion made right now by the commissioner is, on the floor, a optimistic first step, however we suspect that that is extra of a public relations ploy than actual dedication to alter.

“For too a few years, the NFL has hidden behind the quilt of foundations that have been supposed to guard the rights of Black gamers and coaches, all whereas letting systemic racial bias fester in its entrance places of work. The NFL is now rolling out the identical playbook but once more, and that’s exactly why this lawsuit was filed.  We’d be happy to speak to the commissioner about actual change, however sadly he has not reached out to us to have interaction in such a dialogue.

“Actually, no one from the NFL has reached out to us. Absent such a dialogue adopted by unbiased and concrete change, we imagine {that a} court docket or governmental company should order a federal monitor to supervise the NFL because the NFL can’t proceed to police itself.”