ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NFL has matched its highest grades ever for racial diversity hiring practices, with the study’s author lauding unprecedented gains at the top executive level within the league office.
The annual report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport on Thursday gives the league its second consecutive ‘A’ grade for racial hiring and its second consecutive ‘C’ on gender hiring. That gives the NFL a combined grade of ‘B’.
The total number of diverse employees at or above the vice president level increased by 30 percent in 2011, and the number of female employees increased by 36 percent in 2011.
Primary study author Richard Lapchick says he is surprised the NFL was able to maintain its standards during recent labor strife and is encouraged those numbers will increase.
