Brian Flores filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday alleging racial discrimination in the NFL's hiring practices.
The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, alleges the NFL and its teams to have violated Section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act of 1866; the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination; the New York State Human Rights Law; and the New York City Human Rights Law.
Flores, listed as the plaintiff, claims to act on behalf of more than 40 members of the proposed class: "all Black head coach, offensive and defensive coordinators and quarterbacks coaches, as well as general managers and black candidates for those positions."
In his complaint, Flores accused Dolphins owner Stephen Ross of trying to pay him off to tank, relased an awkward text conversation with Bill Belichick suggesting the Bills had already decided to hire Brian Daboll before Flores had a chance to interview and detailed what Flores described as "sham" interviews conducted by the Broncos and Giants.
He was fired by the Dolphins on Jan. 10, despite posting a winning record and winning eight games in a row to end the season. That was just one of the many examples Flores cited of the NFL's racially discriminatory policies in that Black coaches have a far higher and far less fair threshold of success they need to reach to be kept around. He also cited numerous statistics throughout the full complaint that deal with the percentage of Black coaches hired and interviewed compared to the racial makeup of the league.
Flores was a strong candidate to land one of the nine head coaching vacancies this offseason.
MORE: Brian Flores' lawsuit against NFL reveals text exchange with Bill Belichick
"In the 20 years since the Rooney Rule was passed, only 15 Head Coaching positions have been filled by Black Candidates," the complaint reads. "During that time, there have been approximately 129 Head Coaching vacancies. Thus only 11% of Head Coach positions have been filled by Black candidates—in a league where 70% of players are Black."
The full complaint can found here, as can the other arguments Flores makes and the receipts he provides to back up his claim — notably a meeting with Broncos executives and a text exchange with Patriots coach Bill Belichick wherein Belichick congratulates who he thinks is Daboll on landing the Giants gig, only to have actually been texting Flores.
MORE: Why did the Dolphins fire Brian Flores?
All three of the Giants, Broncos and NFL released statements refuting much of what Flores details and coming to their own defenses.
In the NFL's case, they purport to place a premium on diversity initiatives and equitable employment practices, something which Flores and the numbers seem to dispute.
NFL statement on Brian Flores’ lawsuit: pic.twitter.com/LaJVJuw3gS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2022
"The NFL and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices and continue to make progress in providing equitable opportunities throughout our organizations," the NFL said in it's statement. "Diversity is core to everything we do, and there are few issues on which our clubs and our internal leadership team spend more time. We will defend against these claims, which are without merit."
The Giants' and Broncos' statements echoed similar sentiments and refuted Flores' claims while defending their own hiring practices.
Broncos’ statement today on Brian Flores’ lawsuit: pic.twitter.com/IFVBNhQLgq
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2022
The Dolphins denied the allegations levied by Flores, as well.
Statement from Dolphins denying allegations of racial discrimination from Brian Flores lawsuit. There will be lawyers. pic.twitter.com/XXZSJpaUrO
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) February 1, 2022
MORE: Best candidates to replace Brian Flores in Miami
Here's how Flores described the 2019 meeting from his perspective as per the lawsuit.
"In 2019 Mr. Flores was scheduled to interview with the Denver Broncos. However, the Broncos’ then-General Manager, John Elway, President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Ellis and others, showed up an hour late to the interview. They looked completely disheveled, and it was obvious that they had drinking heavily the night before," the suit reads.
"It was clear from the substance of the interview that Mr. Flores was interviewed only because of the Rooney Rule, and that the Broncos never had any intention to consider him as a legitimate candidate for the job."
Flores' account of his meeting with the Giants is similar and outlines the same pattern of not being seriously considered for the job.
"The New York Giants made the decision to hire Brian Daboll—and disclosed that decision to third parties—during a time when the Giants were scheduled to still interview Mr. Flores and when Mr. Flores was deceptively led to believe he actually had a chance at this job," the suit said.
MORE: Why did the Giants hire Brian Daboll?
"Thus, on Wednesday, January 26, 2022, Mr. Flores was forced to sit through a dinner with Joe Schoen, the Giant’s new General Manager, knowing that the Giants had already selected Mr. Daboll. Much worse, on Thursday, January 27, 2022, Mr. Flores had to give an extensive interview for a job that he already knew he would not get—an interview that was held for no reason other than for the Giants to demonstrate falsely to the League Commissioner Roger Goodell and the public at large that it was in compliance with the Rooney Rule."
The Giants, like the Broncos and the NFL, defended their hiring practices and insisted Flores was a serious and legitimate finalist.
"We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll," the Giants' statement read. "We interviewed and impressive and diverse group of candidates. The fact of the matter is, Brian Flores was in the conversation to be our head coach until the eleventh hour. Ultimately, we hired the individual we felt was most qualified to be our next head coach."
Only Flores knows for certain what went on in those meetings, but the picture the former coach painted is certainly a damning one.
