There is a new lawsuit that lists the Arizona Cardinals and owner Michael Bidwill as defendants. In it, a former coach and executive assistant allege that they faced discrimination due to their race, per a report by Theo Mackie in AZ Central.
Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit was Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Walls. Notably, Walls announced in August that he is stepping down at the end of the 2026 season.
It was filed by Kendra Hogue, who was Walls’ executive assistant, and Don Shumpert. Shumpert coached with the Cardinals from 2019 to 2021.
A federal judge chose to send the claim to NFL arbitration. As of now, the NFL commissioner’s office is working to select an arbitrator.
The Arizona Cardinals Respond to the Lawsuit
The Arizona Cardinals shared a statement regarding the lawsuit with The Arizona Republic. In it, they denied all claims made in the lawsuit, but did not expand on why.
“The team strongly denies these claims and will prove they have no merit,” the Cardinals said in a statement. “Because it is an active legal matter, the team will refrain from further comment.”
Bidwill was previously sued in 2023 and 2024 by Terry McDonough, a former executive. That was due to defamation, among other claims. The Cardinals owner was also previously sued for age and gender-related discrimination by former assistant Brittany Neuheisel.
More Details on the Lawsuit Against the Cardinals, Bidwill
In the lawsuit, Kendra Hogue is alleging mistreatment that she faced in the workplace over the course of two months that she worked for the Cardinals in the Fall of 2024. That includes “disparate treatment” that she was subject to.
“During the course of her employment, Hogue was subjected to a toxic work environment characterized by retaliatory behavior, managerial dysfunction, and mistreatment, which materially altered the terms and conditions of her employment,” the lawsuit says.
The exact details of Hogue’s treatment are still unclear. However, the lawsuit does insist that the workplace conditions forced her to resign.
There is more detail surrounding Don Shumpert’s lawsuit. A recipient of the Bill Bidwill Coaching Fellowship, he joined the Cardinals in 2019.
In the lawsuit, it’s alleged that former head coach Kliff Kingsbury told him he’d be promoted to running backs coach in 2022. However, per the lawsuit, there was a lack of communication about his new job within the Cardinals organization, which led to him working multiple jobs. Then, in September of 2022, he was denied a pay raise. He was then fired in October.
“During this conversation, Kingsbury told Shumpert the reason he was fired was because he had conversations with Adrian Wilson, the former vice president of the Cardinals, about his contract, which was unfortunately another lie,” the lawsuit said. “The Cardinals’ pattern of lies continued when they sent Shumpert an email giving him the reasons he was fired, citing attempts to delegate job duties to other members of the staff without authorization.”
Notably, it’s alleged that the Cardinals instead promoted two white coaches, who earned new titles and contracts. That is, according to the lawsuit, for doing the same job they had previously done.
The lawsuit then adds that the Cardinals had allowed a “discriminatory and hostile work environment.” It adds that Bidwill “visibly and verbally demeaned Shumpert.” That includes an incident where Bidwill was critical of Shumpert for taking two water bottles from the fridge.
What becomes of the lawsuit remains to be seen. However, it’s another interesting note to follow in what has been a disaster of a 2026 season.
Cardinals Owner Michael Bidwill Faces Lawsuit Over Alleged Discrimination