Despite legal challenges, Pittsburgh Steelers Chairman Art Rooney II affirms the NFL's commitment to diversity and anticipates the continued implementation of the Rooney Rule.
The Rooney Rule, named after Dan Rooney, is especially significant to Pittsburgh Steelers chairman Art Rooney II.
Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last week saying the Rooney Rule, which was instituted in 2003, amounts to “blatant race and sex discrimination.”
The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.
However, Art Rooney II is confident that the NFL will uphold the Rooney Rule’s commitment to diversity, a legacy championed by the late Dan Rooney.
"We always are looking at our employment policies, and every year we do an analysis of what we're doing, what we can do to improve the situation, but I don't expect any major changes to the Rooney Rule,” Art Rooney II said Tuesday as the NFL annual meetings concluded in Phoenix.
The Rooney Rule also came up during the owners’ meeting.
Art Rooney II elaborated, saying, “We had a little discussion about the Rooney Rule. There were some questions about it, but no action was taken—just a statement from the Florida Attorney General. We’ll likely have conversations with him to ensure he understands our practices.”
It's not a hiring rule. So, I think we're comfortable with where we are. I think everybody's still in favor of the Rooney Rule. There's no discussion about getting rid of it, that's for sure."
Goodell also addressed the Rooney Rule during his media appearance. Goodell acknowledged the current political landscape for diversity issues in the United States. However, he believes the NFL’s policy falls within the bounds of the law.
“One thing that doesn’t change is our values, and we believe in diversity and its benefit to the National Football League,” Goodell said. “We are well aware of the laws and where the laws are changing and evolving. We think the Rooney Rule is consistent with those, and we certainly will engage with the Florida AG or anybody else as we have in the past to talk about our policies.”
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