TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - What began as an effort to expand opportunities in NFL leadership is now facing legal scrutiny in Florida.
What we know:
The Rooney Rule was created by the NFL in 2003 after the firing of two successful Black head coaches, including Tony Dungy. The policy was designed to increase opportunities for minority candidates in coaching and executive positions.
Now, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is investigating whether the rule violates the state’s Civil Rights Act.
The Subpoena
On Wednesday, Uthmeier publicly released a letter to NFL Executive Vice President and General Counsil Ted Ullyot demanding years of records tied to hiring practices, diversity initiatives, and inclusivity programs.
The subpoena also calls on NFL officials to meet with the attorney general’s office in Tallahassee within the next month.
Uthmeier argues the Rooney Rule and related initiatives encouraging the hiring and training of women and minority candidates amount to "discriminatory hiring quotas."
The other side:
In March, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pushed back against criticism of the Rooney Rule, saying teams still make merit-based decisions.
He says the Rooney Rule, which has changed several times over the last two decades, will remain in place.
"The Rooney Rule is not a hiring mandate," Goodell said. "It’s intended to help identify candidates and a diverse set of candidates that bring in better talent and give us an opportunity to hire the best talent ultimately."
According to the NFL, the rule is designed to expand opportunities and ensure broader candidate pools for top positions.
Following Uthmeier’s earlier threat of legal action in March, the NFL updated language describing the Rooney Rule on its website.
The league removed the words "diverse" and "minority" from the description. The league's website now states that the rule is designed to expand opportunity.
Despite the wording changes, the Rooney Rule still requires teams to interview at least two external candidates who are either persons of color or women for top coaching and executive jobs.
What's next:
Uthmeier says the NFL’s changes do not go far enough and is continuing his investigation through the subpoena process.
In addition to the Rooney Rule, Uthmeier is also investigating whether the league has violated fair hiring practices in Florida through its Offensive Assistant Coach Mandate, Coach and Front Office Accelerator Program, Mackie Development Program, and its policy of rewarding teams with compensatory draft picks if minority staff go on to be hired by another team as either a General Manager or Head Coach.
The attorney general is also demanding NFL representatives appear in his office in Tallahassee on June 12.
The Source: Information in this story came from public statements released by the Florida Attorney General’s Office, comments from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, materials published by the NFL regarding the Rooney Rule, and reporting by the Associated Press.