The lawsuit, which seeks reinstatement and unspecified damages, accuses the NFL of subjecting DeLorenzo to humiliation from 2022 until her dismissal in February 2025. According to the complaint, her supervisor, Walter Anderson, instructed her to wear her hair in a ponytail pulled through the back of her hat to clearly mark her as a woman on the field. DeLorenzo considered cutting off her hair due to discomfort from comments about her hairstyle.
She also alleges she was routinely issued oversized men's uniforms, forcing her to buy her own properly fitting shorts and apply NFL patches herself, and was never provided with undergarments or weather-appropriate gear that fit correctly. Specific incidents of harassment and humiliation are detailed in the lawsuit. DeLorenzo alleges she was treated like a rookie player and made to sing in front of others at a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp, with Anderson recording part of the performance despite her asking him not to.
She further claims ongoing verbal abuse and harassment from a crew chief, including profanity-laced criticism and a refusal to communicate with her by the end of the season. The NFL responded to the allegations with a statement denying the claims and stating that DeLorenzo was terminated following three seasons of documented underperformance. It remains unknown what specific performance issues led to DeLorenzo's documented underperformance, according to the NFL, or whether other female NFL officials have experienced similar alleged gender-based scrutiny.
The outcome of the lawsuit, including whether DeLorenzo will be reinstated or receive damages, is also unclear.