A federal judge ruled that a discrimination lawsuit filed against the Arizona Cardinals and owner Michael Bidwill must be settled through a third party instead of in open court. This decision, which limits potential financial damages for the team if they are found liable, is already being seen as a victory for the franchise in this unfolding legal battle.
Allegations From Former Employees Hit Hard
The lawsuit, filed by former Cardinals offensive assistant coach Don Shumpert and former assistant to the COO Kendra Hogue, is pretty broad, but it points straight to discrimination involving race relations and claims of not being paid properly. Hogue, who was the assistant to COO Jeremy Walls, has a whole list of allegations, many centering on racial discrimination. As a black woman, she claims she was subjected to disparate treatment and that the workplace environment was straight-up intolerable. She also alleges constructive termination, defamation, harassment, retaliation, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which she says forced her to resign.
Shumpert’s claims, also by a black man, are just as pointed. He joined the team as a coaching fellow in 2019, then moved to the staff. Several years later, he got promoted to running backs coach, but here’s the kicker: he was still saddled with his old responsibilities. That meant he was basically doing two jobs but only getting paid for one. When Shumpert met with then-GM Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury to talk about a pay raise, he was told they “weren’t in a position to discuss the matter.” He specifically points out that “several white coaches” on the staff had been given new titles and pay increases, all without any change in their actual responsibilities, even naming two specific white coaches. Just a week after that meeting, Shumpert was fired, and he alleges the Cardinals made false statements about why he was let go. He even mentioned a few other isolated incidents, including some involving Bidwill.
The Cardinals Respond, and The Court Makes a Move
The Cardinals’ response to all these heavy allegations? They’re stating none of them are factual. But the legal process took a significant turn when the lawsuit went before a federal judge. The judge ruled that this discrimination lawsuit has to be settled via a third party, rather than going to open court. This means a magistrate will make the decision instead of a courtroom trial, which is a big deal because it limits the financial damages if the team is found liable. This move is already being called a “victory” for the franchise, keeping the case out of the public courtroom.
Why did this happen? It all goes back to the agreements Shumpert and Hogue signed when they were hired. Both former employees had clauses stating “that any dispute, controversy, or claim related to their employment be resolved through binding arbitration rather than a lawsuit.” It just goes to show you, NFL teams are billion-dollar entities, and they’ve got their bases covered for these kinds of things long before any lawsuit even hits the desk.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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