At a time when the NFL is dealing with the NFL Referees Association over a labor situation that could spawn one or more legal issues, the league has a separate and specific legal issue involving a former official.
Via multiple reports, Robin DeLorenzo has sued the NFL, former NFL senior V.P. of officiating Walt Anderson (he’s not the NFL’s internal rules analyst), and former officiating trainer coach Byron Boston.
News of the lawsuit was first reported by Tez Romero of HCAmag.com. Football Zebras has confirmed the situation, with more details.
DeLorenzo was hired by the NFL to serve as a game official in 2022. She was fired after the 2025 season. She alleges “discrimination, humiliation, and retaliation” by the defendants.
“Season one really set the stage for what was to come, and that’s kind of the theme here,” DeLorenzo’s attorney, Krista DiMercurio, told Football Zebras. “This idea of diversity, equity, and inclusion, you see it in the introductory paragraph [of the complaint], that the NFL holds itself out as being that, and Robin’s case, I think, tells a different story.”
Said the NFL, to Football Zebras: “The NFL is committed to providing a fair and supportive environment for all of its game officials. Ms. DeLorenzo was terminated following three seasons of documented underperformance. The allegations in this lawsuit are baseless, and we will vigorously defend against them in court.”
The complaint contains various specific details of alleged mistreatment, during DeLorenzo’s time on referee John Hussey’s crew. She also alleges that Anderson told her to wear her hair in a ponytail on multiple occasions so that it would be obvious a female was working as an official.
When she raised concerns with Hussey about the directive from Anderson, Hussey allegedly said, “Who do you think you are? You are to listen to your boss. . . . Are you crazy?”
The lawsuit contains 12 causes of action against the NFL, including gender discrimination, harassment, and retaliation each under Title VII of federal civil rights law and the civil rights laws of New York State, New York City, and New Jersey.
