Korn Ferry document may turn tide in Brian Flores NFL discrimination lawsuit

In the ongoing discrimination lawsuit filed by Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, his attorneys have received a potentially decisive document from Korn Ferry, a firm that has assisted multiple NFL clubs with coaching hires. The file, tied to a Raiders coaching search, is subject to a sweeping protective order, and the parties are disputing its confidential designation. Its significance led Flores to prepare an amendment to the original February 2022 complaint.

The suit names the NFL and the Dolphins, Broncos, Giants and Texans as defendants, while co-plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton have filed wrongful-termination and failure-to-hire claims against the Cardinals and Titans respectively. Because the case proceeds in federal court, non-parties like Korn Ferry can be compelled to produce relevant materials, a process the NFL could not have forced in arbitration. The contents of the document may influence settlement talks or, if the case goes to trial, could force the league to confront longstanding discrimination issues.