Robin DeLorenzo Sues NFL for Gender Discrimination Firing

Robin DeLorenzo, one of the NFL's first female game officials, filed a federal lawsuit Friday accusing the league of gender discrimination that culminated in her termination. The line judge, hired in 2022, claims she endured scrutiny, humiliation and hostility during three seasons before her dismissal on Feb. 18, 2025. The Manhattan federal court filing seeks her reinstatement along with unspecified damages.

DeLorenzo alleges the NFL sent her man-sized uniforms and instructed her to let her ponytail protrude from her hat to signal her presence as a woman on the field. Repeated comments about her hair made her consider cutting it, the suit states. It further claims her crew chief suggested to Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin during training camp that she perform a rookie-style song in front of the team, crew and officials; she complied but was recorded despite assurances otherwise.

Following the incident, DeLorenzo faced ongoing shaming, harassment and profanity from the crew chief, who had previously been accused of mistreating another female employee and later refused to speak to her, according to the lawsuit. In 2024, she was required over union objections to attend training designed for lower-level college officials, an experience no male counterpart endured. The suit describes this as a "male power play" that damaged her confidence and career.

The NFL stated DeLorenzo was fired for three seasons of documented underperformance. "The NFL is committed to providing a fair and supportive environment for all of its game officials," the league said. "The allegations in this lawsuit are baseless, and we will vigorously defend against them in court."