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

Tomi Lahren weighs in on MLB's decision to warn players after they wrote Bible verses on Pride-themed caps, sparking a debate over free expression, religion, and the role of social messaging in sports.

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

The controversy began after Giants starter Landen Roupp and relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during San Francisco’s June 12 game against the Chicago Cubs. Roupp wrote "Gen 9:12-16" on his cap, with part of the reference overlapping the rainbow-colored "SF" logo used for the event.

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

MLB issued a warning about future uniform violations, saying the issue was not the content of the Bible verses but the act of writing on a game uniform. The league later clarified that the warning was "not disciplinary" and "had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message," adding that its uniform rules prohibit writing or displaying personal messages on apparel or equipment unless authorized by the league.

Now, in a June 18 letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division accused the league of potentially burdening the religious rights of the Giants players.

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