Cardinals, Michael Bidwill sued for racial discrimination among several claims

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill and the organization have been sued by former coach Don Shumpert and employee Kendra Hogue for unlawful racial discrimination, constructive termination, defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

According to legal documents obtained by Arizona Sports, the action was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court on April 23, 2026, as the plaintiffs demanded a jury trial. On June 1, the defendants moved to compel arbitration.

Last week, United States District Court judge John Hinderaker granted the defendants’ motion to compel arbitration. The NFL commissioner’s office will select the arbitrator.

The plaintiffs claimed the defendants treated them discriminatorily due to their race and maintained an intolerable work environment leading to Hogue’s resignation and Shumpert’s termination. Both plaintiffs are Black.

“The team strongly denies these claims and will prove they have no merit,” the Cardinals told Arizona Sports in a statement. “Because it is an active legal matter, the team will refrain from further comment.”

“It appears the NFL constitution requires that club employment contracts incorporate the constitution and bylaws, which give the commissioner authority over employment disputes,” Hinderaker’s decision said.

Hinderaker ordered that the court be notified within 10 days of the arbitration conclusion.

Who is suing the Cardinals?

Hogue worked as an executive assistant to Cardinals chief operating officer Jeremy Walls from Sept. 9, 2024 to Nov. 8, 2024.

The complaint claims Hogue was subjected to “disparate treatment” and experienced hearing racially intolerant comments from Walls and/or other Cardinals managers and employees as part of a toxic workplace.

Shumpert coached for the Cardinals from 2019-22, joining the organization through the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship. He became an assistant running backs coach for the Cardinals.

The complaint says Shumpert was told by then-head coach Kliff Kingsbury during training camp of 2022 that he would be promoted to head running backs coach after James Saxon was placed on administrative leave while he faced domestic battery charges.

Allegedly, none of Arizona’s higher ups talked to Shumpert about the new role, so he continued to operate his assistant duties on top of his new responsibilities. Shumpert claimed he did not receive extra compensation for the added workload. Shumpert spoke with Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim on Sept. 26, 2022, about his pay and volume of work, and Kingsbury told Shumpert he would have to speak with Bidwill.

One week later, Shumpert was fired.

Kingsbury allegedly told Shumpert he was let go for speaking to former Cardinals vice president Adrian Wilson about his contract, which the complaint calls a lie.

“Shumpert’s termination email went on to accuse him of complaining about compensation to others in the Cardinals organization. However, Shumpert only discussed compensation with the appropriate employees, the general manager and head coach,” the lawsuit says.

The suit claims the Cardinals caused irreparable harm to Shumpert by firing him and lying to the media about the reasons why, shedding a negative light about a coach that left the team early in the season.

This complaint is the latest among a recent series of lawsuits against Bidwill and the Cardinals. A former personal assistant to Bidwill, Brittany Neuheisel, sued in 2025 for constructive discharge, wrongful discharge, discrimination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In 2024, former Cardinals executive Terry McDonough filed a civil suit against Bidwill and the franchise for defamation, negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The Cardinals were previously ordered to pay $3 million to McDonough by an NFL arbitrator for defamation. In 2022, former head coach Steve Wilks joined a race discrimination lawsuit filed against the NFL by Brian Flores, claiming the Cardinals did not give him “any meaningful chance to succeed” before firing him after a 3-13 season.

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