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| - The NFL said Monday it was investigating allegations of discrimination made by former Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Eugene Chung during a recent job interview. Chung, 51, told the Boston Globe in a recent interview that he had missed out on a coaching position during the offseason after being told by an unidentified team he was not the "right" kind of minority. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Monday Chung's allegations were being investigated by the league. "We will review the matter," McCarthy said in a statement. "That comment is completely inappropriate and contrary to league values and workplace policies. "The NFL and its clubs are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all personnel in a manner that is consistent with our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion." Chung, who is Asian-American, revealed his experience in an interview with the Globe last week. "It was said to me, 'Well, you're really not a minority,'" Chung told the paper. "I was like, 'Wait a minute. The last time I checked, when I looked in the mirror and brushed my teeth, I was a minority.'" When the team official interviewer was pressed by Chung to explain further, he was told he was "not the right minority that we're looking for." "It was absolutely mind-blowing to me that, in 2021, something like that is actually a narrative," Chung told the Globe. Chung, who played for eight years in the NFL as an offensive lineman, has not named the team involved. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a non-profit which works to improve diversity in the NFL, also called for an investigation into Chung's remarks. "If the comments regarding his status as a Korean American are true, it's further evidence the NFL's actual hiring practices are still riddled with discrimination," the group said in a statement. rcw/dmc
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