There are always quirky questions that NFL teams ask players at the combine, but one club representative crossed the line this year. Former Colorado Buffaloes standout Nick Kasa told ESPN Radio in Denver on Wednesday that he was asked “if he likes girls” by one team, according to Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com.
NFL responds to Combine interview questions about sexual orientation
One NFL team crossed the line with interview questions at the draft combine.
USA TODAY Sports
Teams are prohibited by the NFL from making personnel decisions based on sexual orientation, so the question is one that should not be asked. The team may have been just trying to catch Kasa off-guard with an unexpected question, but delving into sexual orientation is something that is off limits.
The NFL did not condone the action, and spokesman Greg Aiello responded in kind, as reported by Rosenthal:
“Like all employers, our teams are expected to follow applicable federal, state and local employment laws,” he said in a statement. “It is league policy to neither consider nor inquire about sexual orientation in the hiring process.”
If a team (or teams) were found to be asking such questions, the NFL has the power to discipline the offending club. The league will attempt to find out who asked the sexual orientation question:
“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.”
The league will obviously ask Kasa, but it will likely ask others to see if they were facing the same line of questioning throughout the process. The offending team should face action, as this goes against not just NFL hiring policy, but hiring policy in general.
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