What We Know About the Unsealed Brian Flores Recruiting Memo

A newly unsealed memo written by the executive-search firm Korn Ferry for the Las Vegas Raiders, Nevada, contains language that lawyers for former NFL head coach Brian Flores say reflects racial stereotypes applied to Black coaching candidates, according to ESPN. The document was prepared as part of the Raiders' evaluation of Flores as a coaching candidate, ESPN reported.

What is the Korn Ferry memo and why does it matter?

Korn Ferry is a recruiting firm that NFL teams, including the Raiders, have hired to vet head-coaching candidates. The firm's report on Flores was among the documents unsealed in the case, ESPN reported. Because recruiting memos like this one typically shape how a franchise's ownership and front office weigh a candidate, lawyers for Flores argue the document offers a rare look inside how teams describe and rank Black coaches during the hiring process, according to ESPN's report.

What do Flores' lawyers allege?

Attorneys representing Flores say the memo is "rife with racial stereotypes," according to ESPN, and contains multiple examples of language they characterize as reflecting biased assumptions NFL teams use when assessing Black coaching candidates. ESPN's report does not quote the specific language from the memo beyond characterizing the lawyers' broader claim.

Why was the document unsealed now?

The memo's unsealing points to active litigation involving Flores, though ESPN's published report does not detail the procedural history behind the unsealing or identify the presiding court. What is established in the reporting is that the document was sealed before Tuesday and has now become part of the public record, prompting Flores' legal team to publicize the stereotyping allegations.

What have the Raiders and Korn Ferry said?

ESPN's report, as published, does not include on-record statements from the Raiders or Korn Ferry responding to the allegations. Neither organization is quoted disputing or confirming the characterization offered by Flores' attorneys.

What to watch next

• Whether Korn Ferry or the Raiders issue a formal response to the stereotyping allegations.
• Whether additional sealed exhibits from the case are unsealed, potentially naming other teams or candidates.
• How the NFL responds, given the league's ongoing scrutiny of its coaching-hiring practices.
• Whether Flores' legal team cites the memo in upcoming court filings or motions.

Flores, a former head coach of the Miami Dolphins and current defensive coordinator, has pursued legal claims against NFL teams over hiring practices in recent years. The newly unsealed memo adds a specific internal document to that broader dispute, though the full scope of the underlying case was not detailed in the available reporting.

This article will be updated as additional filings or statements become public. Readers can follow the original reporting at ESPN.