Judge rules Brian Flores' NFL discrimination lawsuit can head to open
court, not arbitration
[February 14, 2026]
NEW YORK (AP) — The Brian Flores-led discrimination lawsuit against the
NFL can proceed to open court and avoid the league's arbitration
process, a federal judge ruled Friday.
Flores, who is joined in the lawsuit by Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, sued
the league and three teams in February 2022 after he was fired the
previous month by the Miami Dolphins. Now the Minnesota Vikings
defensive coordinator, Flores alleged in his original suit that the
league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices when it
comes to Black coaches. |
Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores stands on the
sideline during the first half of an NFL football game against the
Chicago Bears, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Matt
Krohn, File) |
|
The NFL argued Flores should go through the league's arbitration
process rather than the legal system, but Judge Valerie Caproni
of the Southern District of New York sided with the plaintiffs.
“The court’s decision recognizes that an arbitration forum in
which the defendant’s own chief executive gets to decide the
case would strip employees of their rights under the law,"
Flores' attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb said
in a statement. "It is long overdue for the NFL to recognize
this and finally provide a fair, neutral and transparent forum
for these issues to be addressed.”
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A pretrial hearing has been set for April 3.
Flores was fired after going 24-25 record over three years
without a playoff appearances. The Dolphins did have
back-to-back winning seasons before Flores was dismissed.
He sued the NFL as well as the Denver Broncos, New York Giants
and Houston Texans. Flores interviewed with the Broncos in 2019
and the Giants and Texans in 2022.
Wilks, who was fired in December as the New York Jets defensive
coordinator, joined the lawsuit by claiming the Arizona
Cardinals in 2018 hired him as a “bridge coach” and didn't
provide him with a realistic chance to succeed.
Horton, who last coached in the NFL in 2019, alleged the
Tennessee Titans didn't offer him a genuine interview for the
head coaching position in 2016.
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