Controversial Search Firm Memo on Brian Flores Unsealed by Court

Key Points:

• The controversial memo prepared by Korn Ferry for the Las Vegas Raiders' head coaching search, describing Brian Flores with racially charged language, was unsealed Tuesday and is cited by Flores as proof of systemic racial discrimination in the NFL.
• The memo praises Flores for being "polished" despite growing up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, and notes his connections with a billionaire’s son, language Flores's lawyers argue perpetuates racial stereotypes and implies his success is exceptional for someone from a predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhood.
• Negative characterizations in the memo include claims Flores can be unpredictable, difficult, and has a "chip on his shoulder," descriptions his legal team says reinforce the "angry Black man" stereotype and may constitute retaliation for his discrimination lawsuit against the NFL and six teams.
• Flores’s lawsuit, filed in 2022 and including former coaches Steve Wilks and Ray Horton as plaintiffs, alleges racial discrimination in hiring practices and defamation by the Miami Dolphins; the case is currently navigating motions to dismiss and appeals from some teams.
• Korn Ferry attempted to keep the memo sealed, arguing it was privileged and not supportive of Flores’s claims, but the court rejected these arguments, allowing the memo's release as part of ongoing discovery in the discrimination lawsuit.