Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has declared on Newsmax’s “Finnerty” program Monday that the National Football League’s diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices violate Florida law.
Uthmeier characterized claims that the NFL is a racist organization as “full of baloney,” stating, “It’s a super majority minority organization. When you look at everybody on the field here in Florida, we’re going to enforce the law.” He emphasized that Florida does not permit discriminatory treatment in hiring and advancement, adding, “We don’t do the DEI down here.”
The attorney general noted that the NFL has long required interview rules and promotions based on race and skin color, which he labeled unlawful under state civil rights laws. Uthmeier explained that while Florida’s investigation prompted the league to adjust some diversity initiatives for assistant coaching roles, it has not rolled back the Rooney Rule requiring teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching positions.
“Fans want players that perform well, that score touchdowns, that win based on performance,” Uthmeier said. “We will get information on how many coaching candidates have been hired or turned away based on skin color in short order.” He warned that continued discrimination would trigger civil rights enforcement actions: “Where we see continued discrimination, I don’t care how big of a company or how powerful you are—we will bring a civil rights enforcement action. We will enforce the law.”
