DOJ cracking down on MLB for potential religious discrimination after Pride Night caps controversy

The U.S. Department of Justice has referred Major League Baseball to nan Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for further investigation aft nan convention warned San Francisco Giants players who wrote Bible verses connected Pride Night caps.

The contention began aft Giants starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses connected their Pride Night caps during San Francisco’s June 12 crippled against nan Chicago Cubs. Roupp wrote "Gen 9:12-16" connected his cap, pinch portion of nan reference overlapping nan rainbow-colored "SF" logo utilized for nan event.

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp wrote "Genesis 9:12-16" connected his Pride-Night themed hat. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

MLB issued a informing astir early azygous violations, saying nan rumor was not nan contented of nan Bible verses but nan enactment of penning connected a crippled uniform. The convention later clarified that nan informing was "not disciplinary" and "had perfectly thing to do pinch nan contented of nan message," adding that its azygous rules prohibit penning aliases displaying individual messages connected apparel aliases instrumentality unless authorized by nan league.

Now, successful a June 18 letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, nan DOJ’s Civil Rights Division accused nan convention of perchance burdening nan belief authorities of nan Giants players.

The letter, posted by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, states that nan section has "referred this matter to nan Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for further investigation."

Dhillon pointed to MLB’s 2020 determination to let players to deterioration "Black Lives Matter" patches connected their jersey sleeves during Opening Day games, arsenic good arsenic related societal justness messages connected league-authorized apparel.

"This double standard—under which players whitethorn not inscribe Bible verses connected hats for 1 crippled only but whitethorn deterioration ‘Black Lives Matter’ patches for 1 crippled only—calls MLB’s existent motives into question," nan DOJ missive says.

ROGER CLEMENS QUESTIONS MLB'S WARNING TO GIANTS PITCHERS WHO WROTE BIBLE VERSES ON PRIDE NIGHT HATS

San Francisco Giants head Tony Vitello lifts starting pitcher Landen Roupp during nan 5th inning against nan Chicago Cubs astatine Oracle Park successful San Francisco, Calif., connected June 12, 2026. (John Hefti/Imagn Images)

"The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening nan authorities of players pinch belief objections to serving arsenic nan League’s conveyance for pro-Pride messages."

The section framed nan matter arsenic a imaginable Title VII issue. Under EEOC guidance, federal law requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee’s belief beliefs aliases practices unless doing truthful would create a important load successful nan discourse of nan employer’s business. The EEOC besides says belief accommodation tin see exceptions to workplace dress and grooming rules.

"Federal rule is clear: employers must modify their azygous requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ workout of religion," nan DOJ missive says.

"The Department of Justice will usage each disposable intends to clasp employers accountable for violating nan belief authorities of their employees."

For now, MLB has not announced fines aliases suspensions connected to nan Giants caps. But pinch nan DOJ’s referral to nan EEOC, nan contention is nary longer constricted to baseball’s soul rulebook. It is now a national religious-accommodation matter centered connected nan collision betwixt Pride Night participation, convention azygous power and players’ authorities nether Title VII.

Roupp addressed his reasoning for penning nan verse aft Friday's game, saying that nan verse is astir representing "God's covenant."

"It's conscionable astir God's covenant and a committedness that He makes to america that, you know, His faithfulness and His mercy," Roupp told reporters. "That's conscionable benignant of thing I judge in, and I stand patient successful that, and I'm thankful we unrecorded successful a state where, you know, we person nan state to judge what we want ... and definitive what we want.

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"There's nary dislike astatine all. It’s conscionable what I guidelines for, and what I guidelines in. I judge successful God."

Gen 9:12-16 is simply a transition from nan Bible. The transition states that God established nan rainbow arsenic a perpetual token of nan covenant made pinch Noah and each surviving creature. It goes connected to authorities that erstwhile God sees nan rainbow, He will retrieve His "everlasting covenant" to sphere each life connected world from different world flood.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to MLB for comment.