The NFL’s third-ever female referee has filed a lawsuit against the league, citing gender-based scrutiny and multiple “humiliating” instances.

Robin DeLorenzo of New Jersey was hired by the NFL in 2022 after working in college football’s Big Ten Conference. After three years on the job, DeLorenzo now says her tenure with the league included “unchecked harassment” and gender bias.

‘A male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence.’

DeLorenzo’s lawsuit signaled that her experience in the NFL was immediately non-satisfactory upon receiving male-sized clothing before she reported for duty.

According to the Associated Press, one of DeLorenzo’s worst experiences allegedly came during a Pittsburgh Steelers training camp. Teams routinely bring in officials to referee their practice games.

The lawsuit claims that an NFL officials’ crew chief allegedly told then-Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin that DeLorenzo should have to sing in front of everyone at the training camp. The alleged reason was that because she was a new referee, she should be treated like a rookie football player.

DeLorenzo reportedly obliged and sang in front of the Steelers players, the male officiating crew, and her boss. This was described by the female ex-ref as having to “put on an utterly humiliating singing performance.”

To make matters worse, DeLorenzo claims her boss promised he would not record her but did so anyway.

RELATED: ‘It’s gonna sting’: NFL manager says liberal state tax proposal will hurt team’s prospects

Chris Gardner/Getty Images

Other claims made in the lawsuit include repeated shaming, harassment, and trash-talk by her crew chief, who one year allegedly refused to speak to DeLorenzo by the end of the season.

The lawsuit also reportedly takes issue with the fact that DeLorenzo was forced to attend “an alleged training opportunity” that turned out to involve lower-level college officials.

The legal filing called the instance “a male power play that served its purpose of humiliating plaintiff, shattering her confidence, and significantly hindering her NFL career.”

The NFL sees it differently, however. Spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that DeLorenzo’s firing was due to documented underperformance.

“The allegations in this lawsuit are baseless, and we will vigorously defend against them in court,” McCarthy said.

Not only does DeLorenzo’s lawsuit include statements that she endured “systemic inequality,” it also claimed the NFL “exposed her to unchecked harassment, denied her the resources given to men, manipulated her training and grading opportunities, and ultimately ended her career” through “tainted” evaluations by people who “discriminated against her.”

RELATED: Florida AG threatens legal action against NFL over controversial racial preference rule

DeLorenzo was fired from the NFL in February 2025 and reassigned to college football along with two male referees. All three of the officials had three or fewer years in the NFL.

The NFL describes its officiating review process as including one or two in-person reviews of an NFL game, each week, by officiating supervisors. These reviews are coupled with weekly training videos, conference calls, and an end-of-season evaluation that determines which referees will officiate in the playoffs.

“A subpar season-long performance could mean remediation, or even a demotion,” the league writes. “NFL officials serve on a year-to-year contract, and they have to prove their mettle every year. There is no guarantee that they will return the next season.”

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​Fearless, Nfl, Football, Ncaa, Lawsuit, Feminism, Gender, Female referee, Discrimination, Sexism, Sports 

A finalist for Colorado’s teacher of the year learned her fate after being found guilty of sexual misconduct with a 16-year-old student.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 19 statement that 45-year-old Tera Johnson-Swartz was sentenced to 14 years in state prison.

‘She threw away her entire life for me.’

In addition to her prison sentence, Johnson-Swartz was ordered to complete six years of sex offender probation and register as a convicted sex offender upon her release.

Johnson-Swartz previously pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of cybercrime.

Johnson-Swartz previously had been a teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch.

The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a statement that Johnson-Swartz “initiated contact by sending music and text messages to her student.”

The DA said the teacher communicated with the teen student for weeks until “she convinced the student to meet up with her outside of school, provided him with cigarettes, and sexually assaulted him” in January 2025.

The district attorney said there were “additional sexual assaults” in subsequent meetings with the boy.

According to KCNC-TV, the illicit teacher-student relationship was “discovered in January 2025 by therapists who reported it to Douglas County Human Services.”

“Johnson-Swartz was suspended from teaching at STEM School Highlands Ranch after the allegations emerged,” KCNC reported. “Shortly after, she was fired and banned from the campus.”

However, school security cameras captured the teen leaving the school and getting into a vehicle resembling the one driven by Johnson-Swartz on Feb. 18, 2025, according to the affidavit.

The minor later admitted to investigators that his former teacher picked him up from school and drove him to a nearby neighborhood, court documents said.

On Feb. 20, 2025, detectives with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit arrested Johnson-Swartz. She was initially charged with kidnapping and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in connection with an inappropriate relationship involving an underage student, police said.

KCNC reported, “Because she was not permitted on school grounds and not authorized to take the student off school property, she was charged with felony kidnapping.”

Johnson-Swartz posted a $100,000 bond and was released the day after her arrest, according to online court records obtained by KCNC.

RELATED: Teacher of the year arrested for alleged child sex crimes — then she’s arrested on similar charges just days later

KCNC said there were two cases filed against Johnson-Swartz — one after a grand jury investigation into the relationship and another after detectives learned she kept trying to maintain contact with the student.

The New York Post obtained the arrest affidavit, which said the teen said Johnson-Swartz walked up to him at a concert during the Fourth of July weekend last year and said, “Just say you don’t love me.”

KCNC cited the affidavit in which the boy told investigators, “Yeah … it was really weird. I was going there expecting to have a really great time. And then I just see her in front of the line, like 30 feet up. Yeah, it was weird.”

The affidavit claims the victim’s parents alerted authorities, and police determined that the teen and Johnson-Swartz were still communicating after the meeting at the concert.

KCNC reported that the teen said he was not surprised that his former English teacher didn’t stay away from him.

“No, she is an unstable woman,” the student told investigators, according to the affidavit.

“She threw away her entire life for me,” the student stated, according to the affidavit. “And I’m not entirely surprised by the fact that she then would have trouble letting go. … But no, I never told her I loved her, and she never said that to me.”

The teen noted, “She is pretty stupid, I’m not gonna lie. Already ruined her life, and she keeps just making it worse.”

Deputies with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrested Johnson-Swartz a second time in July 2025 “outside a fast food restaurant where she was working as a cashier,” KCNC reported.

Douglas County District Attorney George Brauchler warned that any teacher exploiting children for “their own lascivious desires” will face life-changing punishments.

“We will work to make them a convicted felon, and we will try to take away their freedom,” Brauchler proclaimed.

Brauchler said the ex-teacher is a “predator” who is “now a convicted sex offender and will live with that label for decades.”

Brauchler noted that Johnson-Swartz is the fourth teacher convicted of a felony sex offense by his office since last year.

Chalkbeat Colorado, a nonprofit news organization covering education, reported in September 2024 that Johnson-Swartz was one of seven finalists for Colorado’s 2025 teacher of the year.

The Colorado Department of Education said of Johnson-Swartz at the time, “She specializes in building meaningful relationships with her students while also providing lessons remembered beyond her classroom.”

The STEM School Highlands Ranch and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to Blaze News‘ request for comment.

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​Teacher arrested, Bad teacher, Teacher sex scandal, Teacher student sex scandal, Child sex crimes, Child sex abuse, Child sex assault, Crime, Colorado, Teacher of the year finalist 

A Massachusetts man was arrested for allegedly making threats to kill President Donald Trump and “hang him” from the Statue of Liberty.

The alleged messages from May 2025 to July 2025 were posted to the Facebook account of Andrew D. Emerald of Great Barrington, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

‘We’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean.’

Emerald was arrested Wednesday morning and is scheduled to appear in court later in the day.

The press release included the eight posts that he allegedly made.

“When I see to it that Trump is put to death. It will be the the day the purpose creation put me here for beyond creating. My daughter is fulfilled. (because what she is destined to do for the world is far greater than mine, taking out the orange menace!)” read an alleged post on May 3.

“Cause and effect. Trump being a monster to humanity caused this family suffering, and they might never choose to have children because of him Affect we’re going to f****** kill Trump on public television so the world sees what we do to f****** monsters and then we’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean,” read an alleged post from May 15.

In other alleged posts, he threatened to burn down Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence and claimed to have burned down a home previously.

RELATED: Man served time for threatening to kill Trump — then gets arrested for more alleged threats

Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Emerald was charged with eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications, which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, if convicted.

The charge also carries a possible sentence of three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

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​Threats against trump, Trump death threats, Andrew emerald arrested, Political violence, Politics 

Last week, conservative leaders gathered in Dallas to debate the future of the movement at the Conservative Political Action Conference. But for many in the party’s populist wing, the more pressing concern wasn’t onstage — it was a future playing out just 50 miles down the road.

The debate over what’s being called “EPIC City” centers on a proposed master-planned community tied to the East Plano Islamic Center — envisioned to include housing, a mosque, a school, and community amenities — and its relationship to the existing mosque in Plano.

The project spans both that established religious hub and a separate development site farther out in Collin County, about an hour from CPAC’s Dallas venue.

In recent months, the controversy has come to encapsulate a cluster of hot-button concerns: immigration, fraud, government overreach, and the fear of unassimilated enclaves taking root within American communities.

RELATED: Sabo’s story: Guerrilla street artist opens up in career-spanning ‘Unsavory Agents’

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As usual, street artist Sabo didn’t wait for the panels to catch up and weigh in.

Instead, he took it to the walls — plastering the area near CPAC with a series of provocative posters styled as Islamic prayer rugs.

Unsavoryagents.com

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Prints of the prayer rug posters may be purchased directly from Sabo here.

​Sabo, Trump, Culture, Lifestyle, Sabo strikes!, Epic city texas, Dallas, Cpac, Steve bannon, Islam, Sharia law, Ken paxton, John cornyn 

A member of Congress has been the victim of theft, and the thief was someone the House member trusted for years.

On Tuesday, Courtney Hruska, 40, of Alexandria, Va., pled guilty to felony wire fraud and faces up to 20 years in prison at her sentencing hearing on June 23, the DOJ said in a press release.

Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was ‘not tech savvy.’

Hruska stole a total of $22,865.07 from the victim, described in the DOJ press release only as “a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.” According to the statement of facts signed by Hruska, Hruska worked for this congressperson as office scheduler, office manager, and administrative director between 2015 and early 2022.

NBC News reported that Hruska worked for longtime Ohio Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur, 79, though whether Hruska ever worked for any other member of Congress is unclear. The statement of facts reported that the victim had “a personal bank account … at a financial institution in Brooklyn, Ohio.”

Between August 2023 and July 2024, at least 18 months after leaving Kaptur’s office, Hruska used the victim’s personal bank account information on at least 10 separate occasions to make payments on her own credit card bills, the statement of facts said.

RELATED: ICE leader goes for Congress: Sheahan dumps desk for battle against 43-year Democrat incumbent

Craig Hudson/Washington Post/Getty Images

Hruska had been given the victim’s personal banking and credit card information to make “specific purchases” under “limited” circumstances as part of her “official duties” in the victim’s employ, the statement of facts said. Prosecutors believe Hruska kept that information after leaving the victim’s office.

Furthermore, Hruska left that job after securing another government position with the victim’s help. The statement of facts claimed that the victim helped Hruska land a job with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

The victim kept track of personal finances by hand. Hruska admitted that she knew the victim was “not tech savvy” and likely would not get any alerts about the money transfers, the statement of facts said.

The victim discovered the missing funds after a check bounced in 2024. During the investigation, Hruska initially blamed “hackers from the dark web” for the money transfers from the victim’s bank account to Hruska’s credit card bills, the statement of facts said.

Because more than a year lapsed between the initial theft and the discovery of it, the victim was able to recover just 9% of the lost funds, or little more than $2,000.

Thus far, Kaptur’s office has been tight-lipped about her former staffer’s conviction. A spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment from Blaze News, NBC News, or the New York Post.

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​Courtney hruska, Congress, Marcy kaptur, Ohio, Democratic party, Democrats, Politics 

A bizarre man-on-the-street interview is making waves online after comedian Lionel Leede asked a protester whether America was neglecting the “gays of Hormuz” in a fake German accent — a play on words on the Strait of Hormuz — and received earnest agreement in response.

“Isn’t it a little bit homophobic that we’re so focused on the straights of Hormuz and not the gays of Hormuz?” Leede asked the No Kings protester.

“Yes, I agree. Yes, for sure,” the protester responded.

“Why do you think they’re willing to leave the gays of Hormuz behind?” Leede asked.

“I think it’s just, historically, like, you know, gays have always been very discriminated against, which is wrong on so many levels,” she responded before he interjected, “Even in war.”

“Yeah, even in war. It just takes more reform in government, obviously, and then also educating society,” she added.

“Just feel like if we’re going to go in there, we can’t leave the gay people behind. I don’t think we should go in there at all, but if we’re going to, the gays of Hormuz, we could turn it into Fire Island,” Leede responded, to which she said, “For sure.”

BlazeTV host Steve Deace watches the clip on the “Steve Deace Show” and, without speaking a word, gets up and leaves the set.

Co-host Todd Erzen laughs, saying, “And in a German accent.”

“And they’re going to win the next election,” he adds, laughing harder.

Deace walks back in, joking that when he heard Todd say, “They’re going to win the next election,” he “sat down over in the corner there in the break room and just started sucking my thumb.”

“I don’t even know what to say,” he adds.

Want more from Steve Deace?

To enjoy more of Steve’s take on national politics, Christian worldview, and principled conservatism with a snarky twist, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Steve deace show, Steve deace, The blaze, Blazetv, Blaze news, Blaze podcasts, Blaze podcast network, Blaze media, Blaze online, Blaze originals, Todd erzen, Lionel leede, No cap on god fr, Strait of hormuz, Iran, Iran war, No kings protest 

In a case with potential far-reaching consequences in states with similar laws, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson dissenting, that a Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors was unconstitutional.

The case, Chiles v. Salazar, has gained a wide mix of reactions from think tanks, politicians, and media personalities alike.

‘They believe it is more natural for a man to be a woman than for a man to be a man.‘

Blaze News previously reported that the Daily Wire’s Matt Walsh ripped into Jackson’s dissent, saying that her opinion “just proves again that she is the most unfit, unqualified, unhinged lunatic to ever hold a seat on the Supreme Court.”

Others celebrated the positive aspects of the case, touting the decision as a win for all of the victims who have been caught in the crosshairs of gender ideology.

RELATED: SCOTUS rules on law banning ‘conversion therapy’ — and 2 liberal justices break rank

DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP/Getty Images

Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, told Blaze News, “The Supreme Court delivered a landmark victory for religious believers, parents, and, most importantly, vulnerable children. Colorado Democrats have shown they will stomp on the rights of anyone who stands in the way of the well-heeled gay and transgender lobby whether it is bakers, doctors, or desperate families.”

“It should not take the lengthy legal battles or the Supreme Court to rein in the liberal war against reality. That is why fed-up Colorado families are appealing straight to voters to protect children from extremist Democrats,” Schilling continued.

Ashley McGuire, author, radio host, and senior fellow at the Catholic Association, likewise showered the Supreme Court’s decision with praise.

In a statement to Blaze News, McGuire said, “Efforts by left-wing ideologues to force health care professionals to violate their personal and religious beliefs have failed again. We applaud the Supreme Court’s decision to protect the religious liberty and free speech rights of therapists in today’s 8-1 ruling in the case of Chiles v. Salazar. This ruling also protects vulnerable children and upholds the rights of parents to seek care for their children in line with their personal beliefs.”

The ruling is primarily a First Amendment case, which, notably, does not issue any opinion or ruling on the efficacy, morality, or legality of so-called conversion therapy itself, defined in the ruling as any treatments or attempts “to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

The issue, in simple terms, was that the law forced the plaintiff and other counselors who deal in the relevant field to adopt an affirming approach to minor patients who may have been confused about their sexual orientation or gender identity and were seeking to change it.

BlazeTV’s Daniel Horowitz summed up this issue in a statement shared with Blaze News:

It is shocking how it has taken years to affirm such a basic right as two adults contracting with each other to engage in verbal therapy to affirm natural sexuality. It is even more shocking how the left believes a doctor can pursue a physical action to unnaturally change gender with castration, but you are banned from merely speaking with someone in support of their existing natural sexuality. They believe it is more natural for a man to be a woman than for a man to be a man. Their understanding of authentic individual rights as it intersects with governmental powers is as perfectly corrupted as one can imagine.

Democratic leaders, on the other hand, expressed their disapproval of the decision. In a reply to the Associated Press’ report on X, California Governor Gavin Newsom said, “Conversion therapy is discredited junk science that inflicts harm on LGBTQ youth. The Supreme Court’s decision is disappointing and puts vulnerable kids at risk.”

On a lighter note, some social media users pointed out the humor of this decision being released on the so-called Transgender Day of Visibility, March 31.

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​Politics, Supreme court, Scotus, Colorado, Conversion therapy, Conversion therapy supreme court case, American principles project, The catholic association, Ashley mcguire, Terry schilling, Daniel horowitz 

An armed male recently entered a Florida home and refused to leave — and then threatened the homeowner while advancing toward him, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office said.

But the homeowner had a gun on hand — and used it.

‘Stand your ground, baby!’

The sheriff’s office in a Tuesday news release said deputies responded to reports of shots fired in the 5400 block of Touraine Drive around 9:40 p.m. Feb. 6 and discovered a male suffering from a gunshot wound at the scene. The incident occurred in Tallahassee.

Detectives determined the male in question entered the home uninvited and refused to leave after the homeowner’s repeated requests, officials said.

What’s more, the male then threatened the homeowner with a weapon while advancing toward him, officials said.

With that, the homeowner used a semiautomatic handgun to fire a single shot at the male, which struck him, officials said.

The male was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.

After an investigation, deputies identified and arrested 42-year-old Scott Scruggs on charges of burglary of a structure while armed and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, officials said.

RELATED: Male breaks window of home after midnight. Homeowner warns him he has a gun — then uses it when intruder keeps advancing.

Scott Scruggs. Image source: Leon County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

Scruggs remained hospitalized following the incident and was taken into custody upon his release from the hospital, officials said, adding that Scruggs is now behind bars in the Leon County Detention Facility.

Jail records indicate there is no release date assigned to Scruggs; there is no bond for his burglary charge; his bond for his aggravated assault charge is $2,500.

Jail records also note Scruggs has a long criminal history dating back to 2008 filled with charges that include battery, trespassing, criminal mischief, burglary, resisting arrest, theft, reckless driving, and drug possession.

Commenters under the sheriff’s office Facebook post about the incident seemed to approve of the homeowner’s actions:

“Stand your ground, baby!” one commenter declared.”Good job homeowner!!” another user exclaimed.”FAFO,” another commenter stated.”Sounds to me like he should have left,” another user noted. “Good for the homeowner protecting their home.”

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​Crime thwarted, Florida, Leon county sheriff’s office, 2nd amend., Guns, Gun rights, Home invasion, Self-defense, Homeowner shoots intruder, Arrest, Burglary of a structure while armed, Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, Jailed, Tallahassee, Crime 

German drivers who bought Lexus vehicles expecting full access to remote and climate features recently got a wake-up call.

Features they paid for were suddenly restricted — not because anything broke, but because of regulatory compliance, connectivity changes, and software control.

The Lexus situation shows how quickly functionality can change when regulations, infrastructure, or software support shifts.

The hardware still works; the car still runs. But the functionality changed anyway.

That’s the part American drivers should pay attention to.

Your vehicle may sit in your driveway; your name may be on the title — but increasingly, key features operate at the discretion of software systems, telecom networks, and regulatory rules.

Rolling computers

Modern vehicles are what the industry calls “software-defined.” Features like remote start, climate preconditioning, and app-based access all depend on telematics — your car communicating with external servers.

If that connection changes or no longer meets regulatory requirements, those features can stop working.

Not because the car can’t do it — but because access has been turned off.

Lexus parent company Toyota confirmed that certain connected services were modified due to compliance and infrastructure limitations. Automakers call this a technical adjustment. Drivers experience it as losing features they already paid for.

This is what happens when policy decisions ripple into everyday life. Governments tighten cybersecurity rules, telecom providers shut down older networks, and automakers update software to stay compliant. And the result shows up in your driveway.

RELATED: Blinded by modern headlights? A new visor aims to cut the glare

Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

Resale risk

There’s also a financial impact that many buyers don’t consider. When features depend on connectivity, they may require subscriptions, stop working as networks change, or simply not be supported for the life of the vehicle. That affects resale value.

For decades, ownership was simple. If the hardware worked, the feature worked. Now, automakers control the software. Regulators control what is allowed. Telecom providers control connectivity. The owner depends on all three.

That shift helps explain why automakers are pushing subscription-based features. Remote start, heated seats, driver-assistance systems — even performance upgrades are increasingly tied to software instead of built-in hardware.

From the industry’s perspective, it creates flexibility and recurring revenue. From the driver’s perspective, it introduces uncertainty.

There are real benefits to all this connectivity. Software updates can fix problems without recalls. Safety systems can improve over time. Diagnostics can catch issues earlier.

But those benefits come with dependency.

The Lexus situation shows how quickly functionality can change when regulations, infrastructure, or software support shifts. Many buyers still assume their vehicle’s features are permanent.

That assumption no longer holds.

Coming to America

And this isn’t just happening overseas. American vehicles rely on the same telematics systems, the same cellular networks, and the same shift toward software-controlled features. Electric vehicles push this even farther, relying heavily on software for battery management, charging, and performance.

Connectivity isn’t optional any more. It’s built into how the vehicle operates.

The Lexus case isn’t an isolated incident. It’s a preview. Most drivers still assume ownership equals control. But increasingly ownership means access — access that depends on software, connectivity, and compliance.

Because in today’s vehicles, the most important component isn’t under the hood. It’s in the software.

What to check before you buy

Before you buy a vehicle with connected features, ask these questions:

How long are these features supported?
Don’t assume they last the life of the car. Ask for a timeline.

What happens if the network changes?
If the vehicle relies on cellular connectivity, what happens when that network is upgraded or shut down?

Are any features subscription-based?
Some features are included up front but require payment later to keep working.

Can features be removed or modified?
Check the fine print. Many automakers reserve the right to change connected services.

Will this affect resale value?
A car that loses key features over time may be harder to sell — or worth less.

Is there a non-connected fallback?
If connectivity fails, do basic functions still work?

​Lexus, Toyota, Lifestyle, Auto industry, Big tech, Advanced features, Align cars