DeLorenzo Sues NFL for Gender Discrimination After Firing
Robin DeLorenzo, one of the NFL's first female on-field officials, filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the league in Manhattan federal court on Friday. The line judge, hired in 2022 and terminated on Feb. 18, 2025, alleges she endured scrutiny, humiliation and hostility during her three seasons. She seeks reinstatement and unspecified damages.
The suit details incidents including receipt of man-sized uniforms and instructions to let her ponytail protrude from her hat to signal her presence as a woman on the field. Officials repeatedly commented on her hair, prompting her to consider cutting it. A crew chief suggested to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin that DeLorenzo perform a rookie-style song in front of players and staff during training camp; she complied in what the lawsuit describes as a humiliating display that her boss recorded despite assurances otherwise.
Harassment from the crew chief, previously accused of mistreating another female employee, continued with shaming and profanity, eventually leading to him refusing to speak to her. In 2024, DeLorenzo attended a training session for lower-level college officials over her union's objection, an experience the lawsuit calls a male power play that damaged her confidence. The NFL stated she was fired for three seasons of documented underperformance and called the allegations baseless, vowing a vigorous court defense.
DeLorenzo officiated games including Jaguars-Raiders, Chiefs and Cardinals-Bears matchups. The suit portrays her two-decade officiating career as one of breaking barriers until facing what it terms systemic inequality in the NFL.
