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The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled Friday that Brian Flores, Steve Wilks and Ray Horton’s ongoing discrimination lawsuit against the NFL will continue in open court.
Four years ago, Flores sued the NFL, alleging the league was “rife with racism” regarding its hiring practices for coaches. Wilks and Horton joined the lawsuit after Flores’ initial trial.
“The court’s decision recognizes that an arbitration forum in which the defendant’s own CEO must decide the case would deprive employees of their rights under the law,” attorneys Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb said via ESPN.
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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on during the fourth quarter of a game against the Green Bay Packers at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 4, 2026. (Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)
“It is long past time for the NFL to recognize this and finally provide a fair, neutral and transparent forum in which to address these issues.”
The NFL fought to move the case to private arbitration, which would have had commissioner Roger Goodell serve as the judge.
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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks on prior to a game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 29, 2024. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)
Flores sued the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, the New York Giants, the Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans. Wilks’ claim is against the Arizona Cardinals and Ray Horton’s is against the Tennessee Titans.
Flores claimed that NFL teams often interview black head coaching candidates to satisfy the Rooney Rule, conducting “sham interviews.” The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview two outside minority candidates for leadership roles.
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Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores during a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle on Nov. 30, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Wilks said he was treated like a “bridge coach” during his one-year stint as head coach with the Cardinals and didn’t have enough opportunities to succeed in a complaint obtained by Pakinomist Digital.
Horton alleged he was part of a “sham” interview process when he interviewed for the Titans job in 2016.
