KISSIMMEE, Fla. \u2013 The NFL is standing firm behind a longstanding diversity policy\u2014the Rooney Rule\u2014while Florida\u2019s top legal officer, Attorney General James Uthmeier, warns: change it, or face a legal battle. We spoke with the attorney general today, asking what happens now.<\/p>\n
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says the league intends to keep the policy in place. Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner: \u201cThe Rooney Rule has been around a long time. We\u2019ve evolved it, we\u2019ve changed it, and we will continue to do that as circumstances warrant.\u201d<\/p>\n
The NFL drawing a line\u2014the Rooney Rule is here to stay. Commissioner Roger Goodell is pushing back, just days after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier demanded the league scrap the policy in the state.<\/p>\n
Uthmeier says if the NFL doesn\u2019t comply, Florida is prepared to take legal action. \u201cIf they want to continue to break Florida law, we will have to pursue litigation and enforce our civil rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Rooney Rule, created in 2003, requires NFL teams to interview minority candidates for top jobs like head coach and general manager.<\/p>\n
[WATCH: Florida attorney general accuses NFL of civil rights violations]<\/p>\n
Goodell says the league believes the rule aligns with changing legal standards. \u201cWe are well aware of the laws, and where the laws are changing and evolving, we think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last week, Uthmeier released a video calling on the NFL to drop the Rooney Rule, saying it violates state law. <\/p>\n
News 6 spoke with Uthmeier at the Osceola County Sheriff\u2019s Office during a press conference Wednesday about the NFL\u2019s response.<\/p>\n
Uthmeier says he wants the league to back away from the policy and claims the state has set a deadline.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope they scrap this rule. I hope they revisit it. We\u2019ve given them until May 1st to provide their official response to our office\u2014the easy way or the hard way. If we have to do it the hard way, we will.\u201d<\/p>\n
When asked what happens if the state has to do it \u201cthe hard way,\u201d Uthmeier says Florida would sue. \u201cThe state would seek legal recourse in state court.\u201d<\/p>\n
And this isn\u2019t his first fight with a major company. Just last December, Uthmeier filed a lawsuit against Starbucks, claiming illegal race-based hiring practices. And the month before that, he sent a letter to Microsoft, alleging discrimination against faith-based groups. We reached out again this week for updates but have yet to hear back.<\/p>\n
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