Pioneering female NFL official sues league over treatment, firing

Robin DeLorenzo alleges gender-based scrutiny, humiliation, and open hostility during her 3-year tenure as one of the NFL's first female officials.

Mar. 31, 2026 at 6:40pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented, multi-angled view of a football officiating scene, with sharp planes of color representing the challenges a female official faces in the male-dominated sport.A fractured, cubist depiction of a female NFL official navigating the male-dominated world of professional football officiating.Today in Pittsburgh

In a new lawsuit, one of the first three women to officiate an NFL game, Robin DeLorenzo, describes her three-year tenure as a descent into a sexist institution unable to treat a woman as an equal. DeLorenzo cites gender-based scrutiny, humiliation, and open hostility as indignities she suffered from 2022 to 2025 as a league official, before ultimately being fired in 2025.

Why it matters

DeLorenzo's lawsuit sheds light on the challenges faced by women breaking into the historically male-dominated world of professional sports officiating. Her case highlights broader issues of gender discrimination and lack of equal treatment that women often encounter in male-dominated industries.

The details

According to the lawsuit, DeLorenzo was subjected to a range of discriminatory actions, including being sent oversized men's uniforms, being told to let her ponytail show, and being forced to perform a humiliating singing performance in front of players and coaches. She also alleges that her crew chief repeatedly shamed, harassed, and subjected her to profanity-laced trash talk. In 2024, she was forced to attend a 'training opportunity' for lower-level college officials, something no male official had ever been required to do, which the lawsuit describes as a 'male power play' to humiliate and undermine her.

  • DeLorenzo was promoted to the NFL in 2023.
  • She was fired on February 18, 2025.

The players

Robin DeLorenzo

One of the first three women to officiate an NFL game, who worked as a league official from 2022 to 2025 before being fired.

Mike Tomlin

The head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers during DeLorenzo's tenure as an NFL official.

NFL Referees Association

The labor union representing NFL officials.

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What’s next

The lawsuit seeks DeLorenzo's reinstatement as an NFL official, along with unspecified damages.

The takeaway

DeLorenzo's lawsuit highlights the ongoing challenges women face in breaking into and succeeding in male-dominated professional sports, even at the highest levels. Her case underscores the need for the NFL and other sports leagues to do more to foster true equality and inclusion for women officials.