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The US Department of Justice 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 their 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, part of the reference overlapping the rainbow-colored “SF” symbol used in 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 has issued a warning about future uniform violations, saying that the issue is not the content of Bible verses but the act of writing on the game's uniforms. The department later clarified that the warning was “non-disciplinary” and “had nothing to do with the content of the message,” adding that its uniform rules prohibit writing or displaying personal messages on clothing or equipment without department approval.
Now, in a June 18 letter to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, the DOJ's Civil Rights Division accused the league of having the ability to burden the religious rights of Giants players.
The letter, filed by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, states that the Department has “referred this matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for further investigation.”
Dhillon pointed to MLB's 2020 decision to allow players to wear “Black Lives Matter” patches on jersey sleeves during Opening Day games, as well as messages related to social justice on league-approved apparel.
“These dual situations — where players can't write down Bible verses on their hats for only one game but wear 'Black Lives Matter' patches for only one game — call out MLB's true motives,” the DOJ letter said.
ROGER CLEMENS QUESTIONS MLB'S WARNING TO GIANTS PITCHERS WRITING BIBLE VERSES ON NIGHT CLOTHES.
San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello lifts starting pitcher Landen Roupp during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Oracle Park in San Francisco, Calif., on June 12, 2026. (Photos by John Hefti/Imagn)
“The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchisees from unduly burdening the rights of players with religious beliefs to serve as the League's vehicle for pro-Pride messages.”
The department framed the issue as a potential Title VII right. Under the guidance of the EEOC, federal law requires employers to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would create a significant burden on the employer's business context. The EEOC also says that religious accommodations can include exceptions to workplace dress and grooming rules.
“Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to accommodate the religion of their employees,” the DOJ letter said.
“The Department of Justice will use all available means to hold employers accountable for violating the religious rights of their employees.”
At this time, MLB has not announced any fines or suspensions connected to the Giants caps. But with the DOJ's referral to the EEOC, the controversy is no longer limited to baseball's internal rulebook. It's now a religious and housing issue centered on the conflict between Pride Night participation, the league's uniform regulation and players' rights under Title VII.
Roup spoke about his thoughts by writing a verse after Friday's game, saying the verse is about representing “God's covenant.”
“It's about God's covenant and His promise to us that, you know, His faithfulness and His grace,” Roupp told reporters. “That's just the kind of thing I believe in, and I stand by that, and I'm thankful that we live in a country where, you know, we have the freedom to believe what we want … and express what we want.
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“There is no hatred at all. This is what I stand for, and what I stand for. I believe in God.”
Genesis 9:12-16 is a passage from the Bible. The passage says that God established the rainbow as a permanent symbol of the covenant made with Noah and all living creatures. It goes on to say that when God sees the rainbow, he will remember His eternal “covenant” to save all living things on earth from another global flood.
Fox News Digital has reached out to MLB for comment.
