(The Center Square) – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says the state may take enforcement action against the NFL if it continues to use the Rooney Rule, which encourages teams to interview minority and female candidates for coaching positions.
Uthmeier said he sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ahead of the NFL’s Annual League Meeting, which wrapped up this week, urging him to discontinue the practice.
“The NFL’s use of the Rooney Rule violates Florida law by requiring race-based considerations in hiring. 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,” Uthmeier said in a statement posted to his X account. “We’re demanding the NFL suspend the Rooney Rule and failure to do so may result in enforcement actions against the league for race-based discrimination. NFL teams and their fans don’t care about the race of the coaching staff. They want a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win.”
First implemented in 2003 based on recommendations by the league’s DEI Committee, the Rooney Rule initially aimed to boost the number of minorities in head coaching positions by requiring teams with vacant head coaching positions to interview at least one “diverse” candidate.
That rule was expanded in 2021, requiring teams to interview at least two external minority candidates. The following year, the league expanded the rule again to include women in its minority candidate definition.
In recent years Florida has passed legislation preventing DEI practices. The Individual Freedom Act of 2022 prevents employers from requiring their employees to participate in DEI training. In 2023, the legislature passed another law prohibiting public colleges and universities from spending state or federal funds on DEI initiatives.
