Can the NFL's Rooney Rule survive the DEI backlash?

"Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has advanced his threats to take enforcement action against the NFL over its Rooney Rule, issuing the league an investigative subpoena on Wednesday. That makes professional football just the latest target of MAGA backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Rooney Rule was adopted in 2003 amid an outcry over the lack of opportunities for Black coaches in a league dominated by Black talent."

"In its current form, it requires NFL teams to interview at least two people of color or women for top jobs including head coach and general manager, and at least one person of color or a woman for quarterback coach and other senior roles. In March, Uthmeier called on the NFL to suspend the rule altogether. "Florida law is clear," he said in a video posted to X."

""Hiring decisions cannot be based on race, and the Rooney Rule mandates race-based interviews and incentivizes race-based decisions. That's discrimination." His words echo a broader campaign waged by the Trump administration. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which for decades sought to remedy vast racial injustices in America, has now made tackling discrimination against white people, especially men, a priority."

"In an interview with NPR earlier this year, the agency's Trump-appointed chair, Andrea Lucas, said she has no problem with employers broadening their recruitment. But repeatedly, she has warned employers that even in the interview selection process, they should not take into"

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an investigative subpoena to the NFL over the Rooney Rule, advancing threats of enforcement action. The Rooney Rule was adopted in 2003 after public outcry over limited opportunities for Black coaches in a league dominated by Black talent. The rule remains in force and requires teams to interview at least two people of color or women for top positions such as head coach and general manager, and at least one person of color or a woman for quarterback coach and other senior roles. Uthmeier called for suspending the rule, arguing that Florida law prohibits hiring decisions based on race and that the rule mandates race-based interviews. The action aligns with broader federal efforts emphasizing discrimination claims involving white people, including men, and discouraging race-based considerations even during interview selection.

Read at www.npr.org