Fire NFL Players for Protesting? Union Deals Make That Unlikely
- First Amendment doesn’t stop companies from retaliating
- Union contracts, labor law, and state law shield some protests
Trump Says NFL Dispute Didn't Distract From Puerto Rico
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The NFL said it has no plans to discipline players over this weekend’s protests, defying President Donald Trump’s declarations that athletes who stayed in the locker room or took a knee during the national anthem should be fired or suspended. “Our players have a right to express themselves,” NFL Executive Vice President Joe Lockhart told reporters Monday.
The NFL would have a tough time punishing the players even if it wanted to. Unlike most private-sector employees, who can be fired at will, NFL players are protected by contracts that circumscribe when disciplinary measures can be imposed.