Fritz Pollard Alliance defends Rooney Rule amid challenge from Florida AG
The Fritz Pollard Alliance came to the defense of the NFL's Rooney Rule after Florida's Attorney General referred to it as 'discrimination.'
The NFL's Rooney Rule has been in place since 2003, but it appears set to soon face a legal challenge . Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on March 25 his office has sent a letter regarding the rule to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell ahead of the league's annual meeting. Uthmeier called for the suspension of the Rooney Rule in a video posted to social media, stating it violates Florida law by requiring "race-based considerations in hirings.
" "Florida law is clear: hiring decisions cannot be based on race and the Rooney Rule mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions," Uthmeier said. "That's discrimination. " Uthmeier threatened "enforcement actions against the league for race-based discrimination" if the NFL does not comply with his request.
"NFL teams and their fans don't care about the race of the coaching staff," Uthmeier said. "They want a merit-based system that gives their team the best chance to win. " Professional sports are a visible example of a merit-based system, but through the Rooney Rule, the NFL requires its teams to use race-based hiring practices.
We are putting Commissioner Roger Goodell on notice: the Rooney Rule violates Florida law, and it must stop. pic. twitter.
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