The law firm America First Legal (AFL) filed a civil rights complaint against the San Francisco 49ers with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for alleged discriminatory hiring practices.
The complaint, filed Tuesday, accuses the organization of engaging in "unlawful, race- and sex-based hiring and employment practices under the banner of ‘DEI.’"
The complaint points out alleged demographic-targeted hiring pipelines, race-restricted employee resource groups and participation in minority-only coaching fellowships, arguing that the practices violate Title VII.
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"Sports are supposed to be the ultimate meritocracy where talent, skill and preparation determine success. The 49ers have abandoned that tradition, relying on race and sex instead of merit to decide winners and losers," AFL lawyer Will Scolinos told Fox News Digital.
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Fox News Digital has reached out to the 49ers for comment.
AFL filed a similar complaint against the Los Angeles Dodgers over its hiring practices.
AFL’s Dodgers complaint claims the team and its ownership group Guggenheim Partners’ employment practices are discriminatory because "even when using inclusive terminology," it is used "to segregate or classify employees or applicants for employment in ways that would deprive, or tend to deprive individuals of employment, training, or promotions because of their race, color, sex, or national origin."
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at rolling back DEI initiatives, including one with directives for federal agencies to combat DEI in the private sector.
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