CatholicVote CEO urges DOJ to probe Nationals over anti-Catholicism scandal

CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt sent formal letters May 27 to the Washington Nationals and the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division demanding answers over alleged religious discrimination against pitcher Trevor Williams after undercover footage showed a senior team official saying the club excludes Williams from social media because of his Catholic faith.

In her letter to the Nationals, Reinhardt asked whether the team's policy was "to punish, exclude, sideline, or diminish players because they are Catholic," and whether the comments of Sean Hudson, the Nationals' Director of Community Relations, reflected any formal or informal team policy. 

She also listed demands including disclosure of what disciplinary action, if any, the team planned to take against Hudson, and requested a written response.

In her letter to Civil Rights Division Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, Reinhardt asked the Justice Department to investigate and refer the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). 

"If a Major League Baseball organization in the nation's capital believes that being a faithful Catholic makes a player unsuitable for public promotion, then every Catholic employee in America should be alarmed," she wrote.

Reinhardt stated on X May 28 that CatholicVote is waiting for the Nationals to clarify its policies. 

"Private or public, religious discrimination is illegal in the US," she wrote.

‘Boilerplate’ response from Nationals

In an internal email obtained by O'Keefe Media Group, Nationals account executive McKenzie Jordahl allegedly wrote that Hudson's comments were "factually incorrect" and "do not reflect the views, opinions or actions of the Washington Nationals."

"The Nationals are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our players, fans and staff, and we vehemently deny any allegations to the contrary," Jordahl wrote. She added that she could not discuss "personal matters" but would pass concerns "along to the appropriate people internally."

In a separate response, Reinhardt said the email from Jordahl failed to address the central questions CatholicVote raised in a letter to Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark Lerner.

"We are now waiting for the 'appropriate people' from the Washington Nationals to come out with an official statement," Reinhardt said in the May 28 statement. "A boilerplate response from a lower level official, as well meaning as it may be, does not address with the necessary seriousness the specific questions we have posed."

Reinhardt said CatholicVote is seeking clarification on whether Hudson's remarks reflected any policy, practice, instruction, or culture within the organization. She also called on the team to state whether pitcher Trevor Williams "has, in fact, been excluded from official Nationals social media content or other promotional opportunities because of his Catholic faith or his public religious expression."

CatholicVote further asked whether any other Nationals players, employees, contractors, or applicants have been treated differently because of their religious beliefs, what disciplinary or personnel action the team plans to take in response to Hudson's reported comments, and what steps it will take to ensure that Catholic players, employees, and fans are not subjected to "hostility, retaliation, exclusion, or discrimination because of their faith."

"The Washington Nationals still owe Catholics, Nationals fans, Major League Baseball, and their own players an immediate, top level clarification," Reinhardt said.