‘Non-apology’: Florida AG still wants MLB to answer for ‘Pride Night’ controversy
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued an apology for what he considered a miscommunication over standards for player uniforms.
Not good enough, said Florida’s Attorney General James Uthmeier.
Florida’s attorney general signaled he will continue his investigation into whether Major League Baseball engaged in religious discrimination by issuing a warning to players for displaying Bible verses on their “Pride Night” themed caps during a game.
On Thursday Uthmeier said on X.com that the MLB commissioner was trying to sweep the issue under the rug with a “non-apology” after Manfred responded to the “Pride Night” uniform controversy.
“Any sign of Christian viewpoint discrimination will be rooted out,” Uthmeier wrote.
Manfred issued a letter responding to allegations that MLB displayed a “pattern of discrimination” on June 19 in which he argued that the players violated a longstanding uniform policy banning messages of any kind on apparel or equipment. The oral warning did not come with any formal discipline or fines for the players and was not meant to single out the content of the message, according to MLB.
The three players, San Francisco Giants pitcher Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker, wrote a reference to Bible verse “Gen 9:12-16” on their caps which also displayed the “SF” logo in rainbow colors. The verse references the rainbow as a symbol for God’s covenant with humanity, and has been used in the past as a Biblical protest against LGBTQ rights.
The individual players have said their decision to display the verse was not done with malicious intent to the LGBTQ community, but they also expressed frustration with feeling forced to wear the Pride themed cap, which some have said is not something they “morally support.”
The debacle quickly became a flashpoint for the Conservative religious right. Multiple politicians, including Vice President JD Vance and Josh Hawley, a Republican senator from Missouri, took to social media to express their disapproval with MLB’s decision to scold the players, calling the move religious discrimination. The situation led to the U.S. Department of Justice opening an investigation into whether MLB discriminated against the three players on religious grounds.
Last week, Uthmeier joined the fight by issuing an investigative subpoena to MLB. Uthmeier is requesting information from MLB including uniform and equipment rules, enforcement history and the specific rules cited for the June 2026 warnings.
“It appears that MLB has a history of selectively enforcing its rules; players who promote secular messages get a pass, while players who promote religious messages get a reprimand,” Uthmeier wrote. “If this pattern or practice of religious discrimination is true, then it could amount to a de facto League policy, which would violate Florida law.”
Manfred, in his letter addressed to Senator Hawley, said the uniform policy has been enforced equally among players, regardless of the message, even to messages as “innocuous” as one honoring a player’s mother or deceased friend.
He also said that the Pride Night uniform was not mandatory, but admitted that Giants leadership may not have communicated that explicitly.
In 2023, the Dodgers and Giants, who play in cities that are homes to some of the largest LGBTQ communities in the country, requested special permission to display the Pride emblem on uniforms and hats to show appreciation and support for those communities.
The teams were given permission, under the condition that the players would not be required to wear them if they felt uncomfortable, according to Manfred’s letter.
What dictates religious discrimination?
The question at hand is whether the MLB has violated state employment discrimination laws, not one of First Amendment rights, according to lawyers who spoke with the Miami Herald.
Specifically, Uthmeier’s subpoena will gather information to determine if MLB’s actions violate the Florida Civil Rights Act, a state law that makes it illegal to discriminate against people in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on certain protected characteristics, like religion, race or even marital status.
The attorney general is within his jurisdiction to issue the subpoena, Angel Castillo, an employment lawyer in Coral Gables told the Miami Herald, given that the MLB does business in Florida. However, it might be a bit of “a reach,” considering the incident took place in San Francisco. Regardless, it could be a case of religious discrimination in the workplace, depending on what the attorney general finds out, said Castillo.
“He’s entitled to investigate. Whether anything comes of it or not will depend on what they find,” Castillo said.
To prove religious discrimination in the workplace, a party needs to prove disparate treatment or that the employer failed to make reasonable accommodations for someone trying to practice their religious beliefs. For example, an employer cannot hold a company event and only invite Muslims, because people from other religions would be unfairly excluded. Or if a Jewish employee asks to not work on a Saturday because it’s the Sabbath, then an employer needs to try to make reasonable accommodation for the employee with a sincerely held belief, said Castillo. In the case of the MLB, an important question to ask is who is the employer in this case (the Giants or MLB?).
Regardless, Castillo said he believes MLB made a poor judgment call and potentially risky legal decision in the way they handled the situation.
“My initial impression is negative to the extent that any team wants to require its players to wear anything that promotes any particular belief, whether political or religious,” Castillo said.
If the Giants gave the players the right to abstain from wearing the Pride-themed caps, then it should have been communicated more clearly, Castillo said.
“A lot of people believe that ... same-sex relationships are unlawful under the Bible, so if you’re being forced to wear a cap that in your mind proclaims a religious belief that is against your own religious beliefs, that is a form of discrimination,” Castillo said.
This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and donors in South Florida’s Jewish and Muslim communities, including Khalid and Diana Mirza and the Mohsin and Fauzia Jaffer Foundation, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.
