Missouri AG Catherine Hanaway Gives MLB Until June 25 to Confirm No Punishment for Players Who Refused Pride Paraphernalia or Added Scripture – Or She Will Open a Full Investigation into Religious Liberty Violations

TGP ^ | June 18, 2026 | Jim Hoft

[kevcol]

in a letter to MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr., AG Hanaway made it crystal clear: Missouri will not tolerate MLB punishing players for exercising sincerely held religious beliefs.

“It has come to my attention that MLB is considering disciplining members of the San Francisco Giants who expressed their dissent from wearing ‘Pride Night’ hats—by either writing Bible verses on those hats or wearing the regular Giants cap. In response to these actions, MLB said, ‘The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,’” Hanaway wrote.

“Missouri will not tolerate any threat to punish a player for exercising his sincerely held religious or moral beliefs. Doing so is both illegal and un-American,” she added.

Hanaway cites binding Supreme Court precedent (EEOC v. Abercrombie & Fitch Stores, Inc., 2015) and Missouri law (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 213.055(1)(a)) making it illegal for employers to force employees to violate their religious convictions.

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TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; US: California; US: Missouri
KEYWORDS: baseball; coercion; gaymafia; homosexualagenda; homosexualpolicy; missouri; mlb; sports

[kevcol]

[montag813]

The mlb’s antitrust exemption is their achilles heel. They better be very careful.

[Liz]

AG Hanaway made it crystal clear: she and Missouri will not tolerate
MLB punishing players for exercising sincerely held religious beliefs:

“It has come to my attention that MLB is considering disciplining members of the San Francisco Giants who expressed their dissent from wearing ‘Pride Night’ hats—by either writing Bible verses on those hats or wearing the regular Giants cap. In response to these actions, MLB said, ‘The writing on the cap violates our rules, and consistent with normal practice, we have warned the players about future violations,’” Hanaway wrote.

[stanne]

Players and coaches have no problem dissing the National anthem. I don’t like it at all but they’re allowed.
But this is bad in comparison

Ignorance is so blissful

[Persevero]

They can’t have it both ways. SO glad to see the appropriate magistrates doing their job. And MLB should just collapse and die I am so sick of these commies.

[BigFreakinToad]

Kick ass and take names.

[Gay State Conservative]

In my filthy Maoist cesspool of a state you can get 10 years for addressing someone by the genetic birth sex.

[gibsonguy]

How is it the leftist a-holes always end up running all these orgs? 90% of the fans would back the players but that does not seem to matter to the fools who run MLB.

[Tommy Revolts]

The writing on the cap violates our rules

But forcing a player to wear something that goes against his
religious or moral beliefs is okay?

WTH is this pride crap even doing in MLB?

[Alberta's Child]

I love the political theater, but this almost certainly isn’t going anywhere. I can’t imagine there is any legal precedent for using “religious freedom” protections to override a uniform policy of a professional sports league.

[darkangel82]

Former federal prosecutor Hanaway is playing ball

[BenLurkin]

What about people who refuse simply because it is disgusting.

[PGR88]

We also need a national conservative politician coming out against publicly-funded professional sports stadiums

Take the issue away from leftists, and also a clear shot across the bow of woke sports commissioners.

[unixfox]

WTH is this pride crap even doing in MLB?

Why does this crap belong anywhere?

[al baby]

They can’t have it both ways

Unless they are Bi then they can

[fwdude]

Why wait? Do the investigations now. Violations have been committed.

[whitney69]

“I can’t imagine there is any legal precedent for using “religious freedom” protections to override a uniform policy of a professional sports league.”

You’re right especially when it is within the players’ contracts, approved by the union, and the owners make the rules for their private organization. The AG can’t win. She may have been looking for something to do that day. The rules on uniforms have been legally accepted in effect since 1949, a few generations.

wy69

[OrangeHoof]

Thanks. Disappointing my AG, Ken Paxton, isn’t front and center on this.

[Dacula]

Hopefully this will be used against MLB with the pending lock-out/MLBPA contract talks.