NFL Investigating Whether Teams Asked About Sexual Orientation at Scouting Combine
By Josh Sanchez
At the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, Colorado tight end Nick Kasa was one of many players who was making the rounds and interviewing with a number of teams in Indianapolis, but it is a question that he was asked during the interview process that had many unhappy with an irrelevant and unethical inquiry.
“They ask you like, ‘Do you have a girlfriend?’ Are you married? Do you like girls?’ Those kinds of things, and you know it was just kind of weird. But they would ask you with a straight face, and it’s a pretty weird experience altogether,” Kasa said on ESPN Denver Radio, per Pro Football Talk.
Whoever asked the question was clearly crossing the line and the situation has caught the eyes of the league office. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a statement that the league is investigating which team asked the question and whoever is responsible could be facing some punishment.
“Like all employers, our teams are expected to follow applicable federal, state and local employment laws,” Aiello said, via CBS Sports. “It is league policy to neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process.
“In addition, there are specific protections in our collective bargaining agreement with the players that prohibit discrimination against any player, including on the basis of sexual orientation. We will look into the report on the questioning of Nick Kasa at the Scouting Combine. Any team or employee that inquires about impermissible subjects or makes an employment decision based on such factors is subject to league discipline.”
It is nice to see the league taking a stand and making an honest effort to see which team asked the question and if there were more.
In this day and age, sexual orientation is not and should not be a factor in whether or not someone should be able to make a living doing what they love or receive the job they are applying for. For a NFL team to do this shows the current culture of locker rooms has not yet changed.
It’s unfortunate that we are still seeing players getting questions of this nature, but thankfully the league is attempting to do something about it.