Supreme Court Lets NFL Discrimination Lawsuit Proceed

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- Supreme Court declined to hear the NFL discrimination case, allowing it to proceed to trial in New York.
- Justice Brett Kavanaugh filed a dissent, opposing the Court’s refusal to intervene.
- Brian Flores and Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton are suing the NFL and three teams, alleging the league is "rife with racism" in its hiring practices.
- NFL argued the dispute should be resolved through its internal arbitration, but lower courts have sided with the plaintiffs.
- Plaintiffs' attorneys David Gottlieb and Douglas Wigdor said the ruling forces the league to accept that its commissioner cannot arbitrate discrimination claims.
Why it matters: The plaintiffs gain a public courtroom to pursue claims, while the NFL loses its bid to keep discrimination disputes in private arbitration, exposing the league to possible damages and heightened scrutiny of hiring practices.


