A Korn Ferry recruiting memo for the Las Vegas Raiders, unsealed Tuesday, contains language that Brian Flores' attorneys describe as racial stereotypes used to evaluate Black coaching candidates.
A recruiting memo prepared by Korn Ferry for the Las Vegas Raiders has been unsealed in court, revealing language that Brian Flores' legal team argues contains racial stereotypes. The document, obtained and published by Front Office Sports, was submitted as part of the ongoing discrimination lawsuit filed by Flores against the NFL and several teams.
The memo, created during a recent head-coaching search for the Raiders, includes a description of Flores as "polished and a good presenter" despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Flores' attorneys contend that this phrasing implies a bias against candidates from predominantly Black neighborhoods, noting that the same area is associated with heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson. According to the NYU Furman Center, approximately 67.6% of Brownsville's population is Black.
Michael Willemin, an attorney for Flores, stated that the report portrays his client as an "angry Black man." Willemin specifically pointed to a reference in the memo's "Weaknesses" section regarding Flores' ability to "fool you with his polish upwards," arguing that this language downplays the intelligence and professional capabilities of minority candidates. The memo also described Flores as having "little people skills" and lacking self-awareness.
Flores, along with former head coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton, filed the lawsuit in February 2022, alleging that the NFL is "rife with racism" regarding its hiring practices for Black coaches. The suit names the league as well as the Denver Broncos, New York Giants, and Houston Texans. The unsealing of the Korn Ferry memo marks a significant development in the case, providing concrete evidence of the internal evaluations used by teams during the hiring process.
The legal team for Flores continues to argue that such internal documents reflect a systemic pattern of bias within the league's recruitment and evaluation systems. The memo's inclusion of subjective assessments tied to the candidate's background and neighborhood demographics has become a focal point for the plaintiffs in their bid to demonstrate discriminatory practices.