SAN FRANCISCO — The US Justice Department launched a civil rights investigation into Major League Baseball. The action follows criticism regarding three San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their hats during a Pride Night event on June 12.

On June 12, pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote Bible verses on caps featuring the Giants logo in rainbow colors during a game against the Chicago Cubs. Pitcher Sam Hentges did not wear the themed cap during the game. MLB issued a statement on Monday stating that writing on hats violates league rules and warned the players about future violations.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon sent a letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, stating that the Justice Department referred the league to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to investigate potential religious discrimination. Dhillon said, "Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees' exercise of religion."

Dhillon said, "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." Dhillon also characterized MLB's 2020 decision to allow players to wear Black Lives Matter uniform patches as a double standard. EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas reposted Dhillon's letter.

Landen Roupp said, "The decision to write on the cap was not malicious and there was no hate at all." Sam Hentges said, "I did not appreciate being told to wear the cap for a cause I did not morally support."

MLB stated its warning about writing on caps is unrelated to message content and that it has issued identical warnings for Mother's Day messages and family names. The Giants released a statement saying the organization is "proud to support Pride Night and the LGBTQ community." The Giants stated they respect that "individuals may make personal choices about participating in team activations."

In 2022, several members of the Tampa Bay Rays declined to wear team rainbow-themed logos based on faith-based decisions. The independent league York Revolution forfeited a game after players refused to wear Pride Night jerseys. Suzanne Ford, director of the city's Pride efforts, said, "I hate that it's dividing us, this time of year I hope that we're unifying people."