The Council on American-Islamic Relations has criticized the New York Jets amid reports that Robert Saleh was physically escorted out of the team building by security after being fired on Tuesday.
Saleh, the NFL’s first Muslim coach, lost his job with the Jets 2-3 on the season after the loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London over the weekend.
According to multiple reportsSaleh was physically escorted from team headquarters by security after owner Woody Johnson told him he had been fired.
It comes as Saleh wore a Lebanon pin during Sunday’s Vikings game following Israel’s attacks in Beirut. Saleh is Lebanese-American, born in Michigan to Lebanese parents.
Reports about how Saleh’s departure was handled did not go unnoticed by CAIR, who said in a statement Tuesday: “We congratulate Coach Robert Saleh for making history as the first Muslim-American head coach in NFL history.
Robert Saleh was fired by the Jets on Tuesday; He wore a Lebanon pin in what was his last game.
“While no one should jump to conclusions about why the Jets fired Coach Saleh, the report that Jets security physically escorted Saleh out of the building raises concerns about the possible motive for such unusual hostility, especially given that Saleh he was wearing a Lebanese flag pin at a game just a few days ago and that owner Woody Johnson is a former Trump administration official who has been accused of making racially charged comments.
“We encourage the Jets to fully explain the reported unusually hostile treatment of Coach Saleh.”
When Saleh became head coach of the Jets in January 2021, he spoke of his pride in being the first Muslim-American coach in the NFL.
“When you look at an NFL organization and you look at the locker room, it’s like the melting pot of different people, different races and different stories coming together with one goal,” he said. “To be a part of that is special.”
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