Politics · United States · 2 hrs ago
Brian Flores Says Raiders Recruiting Memo Used Racial Stereotypes
A recruiting memo about Brian Flores was unsealed during discovery in his lawsuit against the NFL and several teams.
Korn Ferry prepared the memo while helping the Las Vegas Raiders screen coaching candidates.
Flores and his lawyers say descriptions of his “polish,” background and perceived temperament relied on racial stereotypes.
Flores sued the NFL, Denver, the Giants and Houston in 2022, alleging racism in coaching hires and sham interviews; former coach Steve Wilks and assistant Ray Horton later joined the lawsuit with similar claims.
The NFL’s Rooney Rule requires teams with major leadership vacancies to interview at least three minority candidates, but Flores alleges teams sometimes decide whom to hire before those interviews.
The memo adds material Flores says supports his claims about bias in hiring, though the allegations have not been established as facts here.
The lawsuit remains in discovery, and no further next step is specified.
A Korn Ferry memo used in the Raiders’ coaching search described Brian Flores in terms he and his legal team say rely on racial stereotypes.
The memo was unsealed during discovery in Flores’s lawsuit against the NFL and several teams.
Korn Ferry was hired to conduct a preliminary screening of coaching candidates for the Raiders.
The memo described Flores as “polished” and said he had a “chip on his shoulder.”
Flores’s attorney said the descriptions portray the “angry Black man” and question Flores’s intelligence.
- Who
- Brian Flores, his legal team and Korn Ferry.
- What
- Flores’s legal team says a Raiders recruiting memo about him used racial stereotypes.
- When
- The memo was unsealed during discovery the week of October 18, 2026.
- Where
- The memo concerned the Raiders’ coaching search. Flores’s lawsuit involves the NFL, the Broncos, Giants and Texans.
- Why
- Flores’s legal team says the memo’s descriptions rely on racial stereotypes.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Flores sued the NFL, the Broncos, Giants and Texans, alleging racism in hiring practices.
Flores replaced Ed Donatell as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.
A Korn Ferry memo about Flores was unsealed during discovery.
- Firm
- Korn Ferry
- Team
- Raiders
- Memo purpose
- Preliminary screening of coaching candidates
- Flores quote in memo
- chip on his shoulder
- Lawsuit filed
- February 2022
What people are saying
polished and a good presenter despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn (same as Mike Tyson)
he was able to build a strong friendship with a billionaire’s son which gave him opportunities to socialize and learn how to build relationships with white-collar and upper-class individuals
he can fool you with his polish upward
chip on his shoulder