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Fired NFL Head Coach Brian Flores Suing League For Racial Discrimination

(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Fired Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores has filed a lawsuit against the NFL, New York Giants, Dolphins and Denver Broncos alleging racially discriminatory hiring practices.

“Mr. Flores has determined that the only way to effectuate real change is through the Courts, where the NFL’s conduct can be judged by a jury of Mr. Flores’ peers,” the lawsuit read, according to a piece published by Axios on Tuesday. “A judgment that is long overdue.” (RELATED: Buccaneers Remove Head Coach Jon Gruden From Ring Of Honor In Stadium)

Flores mentions New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, the Giants and former Denver Broncos General Manager John Elway in the suit. The former Dolphins coach claims screenshots of text messages reportedly from Belichick to Flores days before he was to interview for the position with the Giants allegedly prove the team’s interview with him was a “sham,” according to Axios.

Flores has accused the Giants of only interviewing him to be in compliance with the league’s Rooney Rule. Under the rule, teams must interview at least two minority candidates not associated with their team when they have open head coaching positions, ESPN noted. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)

The Giants have since released a statement regarding interviewing Flores and hiring Brian Daboll for the team’s head coach.

“We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll,” the statement read. “We interviewed an 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.”

The Broncos are named regarding a 2019 interview he had with the team. In the suit, he alleged that Elway and several others “showed up an hour late to the interview” looking “completely disheveled” and that it “was obvious that they had (sic) drinking heavily the night before.”

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is also mentioned, and Flores claimed the owner allegedly offered him $100,000 for every game the team lost that season, ESPN noted.

“In making the decision to file the class action complaint, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game I love and has done so much for my family and me,” Flores shared in a statement with the NFL Network, Axios noted. “My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come. The need for change is bigger than my personal goals.”

The Dolphins have since issued a statement that they “vehemently deny any allegations of racial discrimination.” The Broncos statement called the allegations against the team “blatantly false.” The NFL also said in a statement that said Flores’ claims were “without merit.”

ESPN and NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted Tuesday that Flores was being looked at by the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints for a head coaching job.

It is unclear how the lawsuit will effect Flores’ search for new head coaching job.