Just as Giants pitchers pleaded to move on from their “Pride Night” hat protest, the U.S. federal government has now gotten involved.
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into MLB over its warning to the team, claiming the league might have discriminated against four San Francisco pitchers on religious grounds after the players wrote Bible verses on their hats during the team’s Pride Night celebration last week.
MLB said Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker broke league protocol by altering their uniforms with Bible verses on their Pride Night caps, which featured a rainbow Giants logo. Sam Hentges opted not even to wear his Pride Night hat. The players received a warning from MLB for violating the uniform policy.
However, the DOJ shared in a letter to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred that it was referring MLB to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“The three players expressed their opposition to MLB’s pro-Pride orthodoxy,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said in the letter. “The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League’s vehicle for pro-Pride messages.
“Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion. The Trump administration is committed to combatting religious discrimination.”
In a recent interview with The California Post‘s Evan Webeck, Walker and Brubaker defended their actions and shared their thoughts on the immediate backlash they all received. Walker said he saw plenty of “bigot” comments, but also “some good ones, too.”
While the players said the mixed bag of reactions was expected, they expressed that they’re ready to move on and “just play ball.”
Dhillon’s letter identified a potential violation of Title VII, a federal law against employment discrimination.
“Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion,” Dhillon wrote, referencing a 2015 ruling in favor of a Muslim woman who was denied a job at Abercrombie & Fitch because her hijab did not align with the company’s dress code. “The Trump administration is committed to combatting religious discrimination.”
The Giants released a statement after their Pride Night saying they are “proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ community” while also respecting that “individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations” and apologizing for the “pain and anger [of] many in the LGBTQ+ community.”
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