NFL to penalize use of racial slurs

ByABC News
February 22, 2014, 9:22 AM

— -- The head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors diversity in the NFL, expects the league to institute a rule where players would be penalized 15 yards for using the N-word on the field.

John Wooten, the head of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, anticipates that the NFL's competition committee will enact the rule at the owners' meeting next month.

Wooten, who previously has urged all players to stop using the N-word, thinks the NFL will rule an automatic 15-yard penalty for first-time offenders and an ejection for second infractions.

"I will be totally shocked if the competition committee does not uphold us on what we're trying to do," Wooten said, according to CBSSports.com. "We want this word to be policed from the parking lot to the equipment room to the locker room.

"Secretaries, PR people, whoever, we want it eliminated completely and want it policed everywhere."

Wooten thinks the competition committee will officially agree to the rule next month before presenting it to the owners.

"I think they're going to do what needs to be done here," he said. "There is too much disrespect in the game."

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.