The NFL has filed another appeal in the ongoing legal battle with former Las Vegas Raiders coach Jon Gruden, signaling that a resolution remains far off. A notice of appeal was submitted Friday by league attorneys, following a December ruling by District Judge Joe Hardy that denied the NFL’s motion to dismiss the case under Nevada’s anti-SLAPP statute.

Gruden originally sued the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell in 2021, alleging that leaked emails containing racist, misogynist, and anti-LGBTQ remarks led to his firing. The league has denied leaking the emails. Gruden resigned as Raiders coach after the emails became public.

The anti-SLAPP law, which stands for strategic lawsuits against public participation, is designed to protect free speech on matters of public concern. The NFL had sought to have the suit dismissed under this statute, but Judge Hardy rejected that attempt.

In a court document accompanying the appeal, NFL attorneys noted that settlement is unlikely. “The undersigned does not believe there is any prospect of settlement at this time,” the filing stated.

The case previously spent years before the Nevada Supreme Court, which ruled in August that Gruden could not be forced into arbitration with the league. That decision cleared the way for the case to proceed toward trial.