Brian Flores' Discrimination Lawsuit Against NFL Moves to Open Court

Flores, Wilks, and Horton will have their claims heard in a public legal setting after the court ruled against the NFL's push for private arbitration.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores' class-action lawsuit against the NFL for discrimination in hiring practices has been moved to open court, a significant win for Flores and fellow plaintiffs Steve Wilks and Ray Horton. The NFL had been fighting to keep the case in private arbitration, but the court ruled that the coaches' claims can now proceed in a public legal setting.

Why it matters

Flores' lawsuit has shone a light on the lack of diversity in NFL head coaching hires, an issue that has persisted for years. The move to open court will allow for more transparency and public scrutiny of the league's hiring practices, which the plaintiffs allege are discriminatory.

The details

Flores, who was fired by the Dolphins after the 2021 season, filed the lawsuit in 2022 alleging racial discrimination in the NFL's hiring and firing of minority coaches. He was joined in the lawsuit by former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and longtime NFL assistant Ray Horton. The NFL had been pushing to have the case heard in private arbitration, where league commissioner Roger Goodell would have overseen the proceedings. However, the court has now ruled that the coaches' claims can proceed in open court.

  • Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021.
  • Flores filed the class-action lawsuit against the NFL in 2022.
  • On February 13, 2026, the court ruled that Flores, Wilks, and Horton's claims can now proceed in open court.

The players

Brian Flores

Former head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 to 2021 who filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination in hiring practices.

Steve Wilks

Former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals who joined Flores' lawsuit against the NFL.

Ray Horton

Longtime NFL assistant coach who also joined Flores' lawsuit against the NFL.

Roger Goodell

Commissioner of the National Football League who would have overseen the private arbitration proceedings in Flores' lawsuit against the league.

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What they’re saying

“The court's decision recognizes that an arbitration forum in which the defendant's own chief executive gets to decide the case would strip employees of their rights under the law. It is long overdue for the NFL to recognize this and finally provide a fair, neutral and transparent forum for these issues to be addressed.”

— Douglas H. Wigdor and David E. Gottlieb, Attorneys for Flores, Wilks, and Horton

“The court ruled today in Brian Flores, Steve Wilks, and Ray Horton's ongoing discrimination case against the NFL that all the coaches' respective claims that had previously been compelled to arbitration now can proceed in open court.”

— Adam Schefter (ESPN)

What’s next

The case will now move forward in open court, allowing for more transparency and public scrutiny of the NFL's hiring practices. The league will likely continue to fight the lawsuit, but the court's decision is a significant win for the plaintiffs.

The takeaway

Flores' lawsuit has shone a light on the lack of diversity in NFL head coaching hires, an issue that has persisted for years. The move to open court will allow for more transparency and public accountability, potentially leading to meaningful change in the league's hiring practices and a fairer system for minority coaching candidates.