HOUSTON — Fired Miami Dolphins Coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three of its teams Tuesday, saying racist hiring practices by the league have left it "racially segregated and managed like a plantation."
In a statement, the NFL said Flores' claims are "without merit" and that "diversity is core" to everything they do.
Flores was fired last month by Miami after leading the Dolphins to a 24-25 record over three years and failing to make the playoffs. They finished 9-8 in their second straight winning season after a horrible 1-7 start.
Flores interviewed for the Texans head coaching job last month and is believed to be one of the top candidates.
RELATED: Texans confirm they interviewed former Dolphins coach Brian Flores for head coaching position
The lawsuit alleged the league has discriminated against Flores and other Black coaches for racial reasons. It cites former Texans Coach David Culley who was fired after finishing 4-13 in his rookie season. GM Nick Caserio cited "philosophical differences" for the decision to cut him loose.
“God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals,” Flores said in a release put out by the law firm representing him in the case. “In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”
The lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court also names the Dolphins, the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants, along with unidentified individuals.
It includes text messages from New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick congratulating Flores for getting the Giants job when Flores had yet to interview for it. The texts were apparently mistakenly sent to Flores and intended for former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who the Giants hired last week for the head coach position.
In the lawsuit, Flores calls the Giants interview process a "sham" through which he was "humiliated."
The New York Giants put out a statement in light of the lawsuit saying Flores was in the conversation to be the Giants head coach "until the eleventh hour."
“We are pleased and confident with the process that resulted in the hiring of Brian Daboll. We interviewed an impressive and diverse group of candidates.
Other bombshells in the lawsuit include Flores alleging that Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered to pay him $100,000 for every loss in the 2019 season in order to get a better draft position.
"During 2019 season, Miami owner, Stephen Ross, told Mr. Flores that he would pay him $100,000 for every loss and the team’s GM, Chris Grier, told Mr. Flores that “Steve” was “mad” that Mr. Flores’ success in winning games that year was “compromising [the team’s] draft position.”
There is currently only one Black head coach in the NFL, Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin. The Vikings, Texans, Saints and Jaguars jobs remain open as of writing.