Trending Now - Former NFL Referee Sues League for Discrimination After Dismissal

WHO:

NY Post - Robin DeLorenzo, a female referee, was one of the first three women to officiate an NFL game.

ESPN - DeLorenzo was employed as an NFL official from 2022 until her firing in February 2025.

WHAT:

ESPN - DeLorenzo described her promotion to the NFL in a 2023 interview as a moment where she and her father "just stared at each other crying for about five minutes."

ESPN - The lawsuit claims that DeLorenzo was subjected to harassment and profanity-laced trash talk by her crew chief, who had recently been accused of mistreating another female employee.

ESPN - The lawsuit states that the harm to DeLorenzo's career was irreversible and that the emotional and reputational damage was immense.

NY Post - DeLorenzo filed a discrimination lawsuit against the NFL claiming “gender-based scrutiny, humiliation, and hostility.”

ESPN - The lawsuit seeks reinstatement and unspecified damages.

ESPN - DeLorenzo reported being forced to perform a humiliating singing performance in front of the Pittsburgh Steelers' players and her officiating crew.

ESPN - The lawsuit alleges that DeLorenzo was subjected to harassment and profanity-laced trash talk by her crew chief.

WHERE:

ESPN - The lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court.

WHEN:

NY Post - DeLorenzo served as an NFL official from 2022 until her firing on February 18th, 2025.

ESPN - DeLorenzo described her promotion to the NFL in a 2023 interview.

WHY:

ESPN - The lawsuit claims that DeLorenzo faced systemic inequality and harassment in a league that claims to support opportunities for women.

ESPN - The lawsuit states that the treatment she received was a "male power play" aimed at humiliating her and hindering her career.

HOW:

ESPN - DeLorenzo was sent man-sized clothing to wear and was instructed to let her ponytail show out of her hat.

ESPN - The lawsuit claims that DeLorenzo was forced to attend a training opportunity designed for lower-level college officials, which no male official had ever been required to do.

(UPDATED April 1, 2026 04:04 UTC)

In a recent lawsuit, NFL official Sarah DeLorenzo alleges she faced harassment and profanity-laced trash talk from her crew chief, who had previously been accused of mistreating another female employee. DeLorenzo, who described her promotion to the NFL in a 2023 interview as a deeply emotional moment shared with her father, claims the harm to her career is irreversible, with immense emotional and reputational damage. The lawsuit highlights the challenges she has faced in a male-dominated industry.

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(UPDATED March 31, 2026 23:10 UTC)

Robin DeLorenzo, one of the first three women to officiate an NFL game, has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the league in Manhattan federal court, seeking reinstatement and unspecified damages. The lawsuit alleges that during her time as an NFL official from 2022 until her firing in February 20th25, she faced gender-based scrutiny, humiliation, and harassment, including being forced to perform a humiliating singing act in front of players and subjected to derogatory remarks from her crew chief. DeLorenzo claims that the treatment she endured was a "male power play" aimed at undermining her career, highlighting systemic inequality in a league that professes to support opportunities for women.