Three San Francisco Giants pitchers wrote Bible verses on their Pride Night caps during a June 12 game against the Chicago Cubs. The team's starter, Landen Roupp, wrote "Gen 9:12-16" on his cap, with part of the reference overlapping the rainbow-colored "SF" logo used for the event. Relievers JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker also wrote Bible verses on their caps.
MLB issued a warning after the game, 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.
The matter did not stay inside baseball. According to Fox News, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a letter dated June 18 to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, in which the department's Civil Rights Division accused the league of potentially burdening the religious rights of the three players. The letter was posted by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who stated that the department has "referred this matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for further investigation."
The DOJ letter pointed to MLB's 2020 decision to allow players to wear Black Lives Matter patches on their jersey sleeves during Opening Day games, as well as related social justice messages on league-authorized apparel. The department argued that this created an inconsistency. "This double standard—under which players may not inscribe Bible verses on hats for one game only but may wear 'Black Lives Matter' patches for one game only—calls MLB's true motives into question," the DOJ letter says.
The department also cited the Civil Rights Act directly. "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," the letter says.
The department framed the controversy as a potential Title VII issue. Under EEOC guidance, federal law requires employers to reasonably accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would create a substantial burden in the context of the employer's business. The EEOC also says religious accommodation can include exceptions to workplace dress and grooming rules. The DOJ letter stated directly: "Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees' exercise of religion."
The department closed the letter with a broader warning to employers: "The Department of Justice will use all available means to hold employers accountable for violating the religious rights of their employees."
As of now, MLB has not announced fines or suspensions connected to the Giants caps. With the referral to the EEOC, the agency will now conduct its own investigation into whether the league violated federal employment law. The EEOC has the authority to investigate, mediate, and, in some cases, pursue litigation on behalf of employees who file discrimination charges.
