Source: Benjamin Solomon / Getty
The NFL has pledged to end a racist practice known as “race-norming” which examines the cognitive abilities of a Black player and curves it lower for data purposes. The measure is part of a $1 billion settlement reached after a class-action concussion lawsuit went forward.
The Washington Post reports that the NFL and attorneys for the league and met with the legal representation of 20,000 players in regards to the litigation that was launched and has now come to an agreeable end.
Attorney Chris Seeger issued a statement that read, “I am sorry for the pain this episode has caused black former players and their families. Ultimately, this settlement only works if former players believe in it, and my goal is to regain their trust and ensure the NFL is fully held to account.”
The NFL added in a statement, We are committed to eliminating race-based norms in the program and more broadly in the neuropsychological community.”
Additional comments came from NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy as well.
“We are committed to eliminating race-based norms in the program and more broadly in the neuropsychological community. The parties to the settlement have been working with the magistrate judge and have assembled the leading members of the neuropsychological industry to help identify alternative testing techniques,” McCarthy said, as reported by the Associated Press. “Everyone agrees race-based norms should be replaced, but no off-the-shelf alternative exists and that’s why these experts are working to solve this decades-old issue. The replacement norms will be applied prospectively and retrospectively for those players who otherwise would have qualified for an award but for the application of race-based norms.”
Read more here.
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Photo: Getty
