Florida’s top legal official James Uthmeier has delivered an investigative subpoena to the National Football League concerning the organization’s diversity hiring requirements known as the Rooney Rule.
The state’s attorney general, who previously warned the league about potential legal enforcement in March unless the 23-year-old policy was suspended, delivered the subpoena alongside a formal letter to NFL executive vice president and attorney Ted Ullyot this Wednesday.
“All in all, the Rooney Rule and the NFL’s related ‘inclusive hiring’ policies — and the NFL’s representations about these policies — continue to raise significant concerns under Florida law,” Uthmeier wrote in the letter.
The diversity policy mandates that franchises conduct interviews with no fewer than two minority applicants for head coaching, general manager and coordinator roles. Additionally, teams must interview at least one minority applicant for quarterbacks coach openings.
During league meetings held in Phoenix this past March, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell recognized the shifting political climate surrounding diversity programs nationwide, though he expressed confidence that the league’s approach wouldn’t face legal challenges. “The Rooney Rule has been around a long time,” Goodell said then. “We’ve evolved it, changed it. We’ll continue to do that.”
The league did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment Wednesday.
In his most recent correspondence, Uthmeier praised the organization for modifying the Rooney Rule description on its official website following his initial warning in March, though he noted the changes created additional concerns.
The revised language on the NFL’s website now reads: “The Rooney Rule establishes best practices designed to expand opportunity and strengthen the NFL’s talent pipeline across leadership roles. It is part of a broader effort to develop a deep and sustainable talent pipeline across all levels of the NFL. The policy is intended to ensure that qualified candidates from a wide range of backgrounds are identified and considered for leadership roles.”
The previous website language indicated the Rooney Rule sought to “increase the number of minorities hired” in executive positions and stated that diversity “enriches the game and creates a more effective, quality organization.”
“We appreciate how quickly the NFL changed its website in response to our letter and capitulated on some of their discriminatory hiring quotas,” Uthmeier said. “But their response raises more questions about the Rooney Rule, and we look forward to their cooperation with the investigative subpoena we issued them today.”
In March, Uthmeier’s initial correspondence to Goodell characterized the policy as “blatant race and sex discrimination.”
