Brian Flores' Lawyer Claims Raiders Memo Portrayed Client Negatively

<p>The lawyers for Brian Flores have stated that a recruiting memo used by the Las Vegas Raiders during their search for a head coach depicted Flores in a negative light, suggesting that teams are retaliating against him for his racial discrimination lawsuit and that discriminatory hiring practices persist in the NFL.</p><p>The memo, which was sought to be kept sealed by the NFL and the search firm Korn Ferry, was made public on October 13, 2026, after a magistrate judge denied Korn Ferry's request for confidentiality in the discovery process of Flores's class-action lawsuit.</p><p>The Korn Ferry document, first reported by Front Office Sports, includes two columns titled "Brian Flores -- Strengths and Weaknesses."</p><p>According to Flores' attorney Michael Willemin, some descriptions in the memo evoke the stereotype of an "angry Black man."</p><p>One of the six positive attributes attributed to Flores has also raised concerns in the context of discrimination, as it suggests he learned to present himself positively after interacting with affluent individuals, despite his upbringing in a predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood.</p><p>The law firms representing Flores, Wigdor LLP and Elefterakis, Elefterakis & Panek, released a statement regarding the Korn Ferry memo, stating, "The recently unsealed documents demonstrate two unfortunate, but unsurprising, realities. First, that Mr. Flores’ decision to hold the league and its teams accountable for systemic race discrimination has been met with unlawful retaliation. Second, discrimination continues to play a significant role in the hiring process for NFL Head Coaches, as evidenced by the fact that the candidate profile prepared for the Raiders leans heavily on racial stereotypes. We and Mr. Flores are committed to eradicating the institutional racism and retaliation that permeates the league, its teams and their partners."</p><p>The memo was prepared by Korn Ferry for the Las Vegas Raiders before their latest coaching search, which resulted in Klint Kubiak's hiring.</p><p>Flores was not interviewed by the Raiders for the position.</p><p>Flores, who is Black, filed a lawsuit against the NFL and its 32 teams in February 2022, naming the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos, and New York Giants. He alleged that the league’s hiring practices were "rife with racism" against Black coaches. He was later joined in the lawsuit by fellow Black coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton.</p><p>Flores, who served as head coach of the Dolphins from February 2019 to January 2022, claims that the Dolphins defamed him.</p><p>If the Korn Ferry reference to Flores being "the worst hiring decision we've ever made" is traced back to a Dolphins executive, it could support his defamation claim.</p><p>It is important to note that truth can serve as a partial defense in a racial discrimination suit. During his tenure with the Dolphins, Flores hired and fired multiple assistants frequently, and some left after short periods due to clashes in personalities and opinions.</p><p>Additionally, there were instances where Flores reportedly yelled at staff and executives, leading to perceptions within the Dolphins organization that he sometimes demeaned individuals.</p>