NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he plans to keep the Rooney Rule in place despite objections from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said the rule violates state and federal civil rights laws.
Uttmeier sent a 23-page letter to Goodell last week demanding the NFL commissioner suspend the minority-hiring rule and requested a response by May 1.
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The Rooney Rule sets an interview quota for coaches from minority groups, requiring every team to interview at least two candidates from underrepresented groups for head coach, coordinator, and general manager jobs.
Goodell defended the rule on Tuesday after league meetings and acknowledged the change in temperature in regard to diversity, equity, and inclusion across various industries in the United States.
“One thing that doesn’t change is our values, and we believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League,” Goodell said. “We are well aware of the laws and where the laws are changing and evolving. We think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those, and we certainly will engage with the Florida AG or anybody else as we have in the past to talk about our policies.”
He also said the rule has been in practice for “a long time” and that the NFL has “evolved it, changed it” and will continue to do so.
In his letter to Goodell, Uthmeier said the league should hire and train “based on merit,” not sex or race.
“NFL fans in Florida don’t care what color their coach’s skin is,” Uthmeier said. “They care what colors their coach is wearing – and that those colors are winning on the football field.”
The Florida attorney general’s letter reflects a broader crackdown by red states on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, which the Trump administration has deemed illegal.
The decades-old Rooney Rule includes women in diversity initiatives, under which teams must also interview one minority group candidate for the quarterback coach position and one for senior-level positions, such as club president.
Uthmeier noted that the NFL draft, in which teams will select eligible college players to play for them, is just weeks away.
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“The NFL’s use of the Rooney Rule violates Florida law by requiring race-based considerations in hiring,” Uthmeier said. “Florida law is clear. Hiring decisions cannot be based on race, and the Rooney Rule mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions. That’s discrimination.”
Florida’s Jacksonville Jaguars hold the top pick in this year’s draft, which will take place from April 23 to April 25.
