This Trump supporter has taken a hard line against the New York Mets.
In a lawsuit filed in Brooklyn federal court on September 6, Orla Moody is seeking $2 million in damages from the team and Citi Field, claiming that she was barred from the stadium last month until she removed her “Make America Great Again” hat.
The Republican from St. Albans, Queens, argued that the ban violated her free speech rights and caused her “emotional distress.”
“This country should be a beacon of freedom for all,” Moody, 64, defended himself, telling The Washington Post.
She accuses the Mets of “racism and political retaliation” and “the tarnishing of their reputation.”
Moody, a social worker and mother of two, said she and a friend were wearing MAGA hats when they arrived at Citi Field to watch the Mets play the Oakland Athletics on Aug. 14.
They were there along with eight other members of the Queens Village Republican Club.
She said that shortly after they went through security, Citi Field staff told them they wouldn't be allowed in while wearing Trump merchandise.
Moody said he tried to exercise his First Amendment rights multiple times, but was told by staff members that his MAGA cap was “too political” and he needed to remove it.
Moody and his friend, both of whom serve on the club's board of directors, only agreed to remove their hats because they were worried about disturbing other members of the group who were already seated.
Moody tried to “de-escalate the situation” and asked if he could put his MAGA hat in his bag, but was told “no, because you can put your hat on once you're seated. MAGA hats must be removed from the stadium,” court documents state.
“I asked to speak to my supervisor because I knew I was being subjected to racism and political retaliation because I was a Black woman and I wore a MAGA hat,” Moody said in the lawsuit.
When Moody asked his security supervisor if he had to take MAGA hats outside of Citi Field, the supervisor responded, “That's the policy.”
Moody claimed the women were forced to call a friend who was traveling with them to return the hats to the car.
“When I finally sat down at my seat, I saw white people wearing MAGA hats and MAGA clothing,” including other members of her group, Moody said in the lawsuit.
“A Mets employee had a misunderstanding regarding the dress code,” the team's initial statement said.
“We apologise to Orla Moody and invite her back to the stadium.”
The lawsuit acknowledges that a team representative called Moody on Aug. 17 to “apologize on behalf of the New York Mets” and assure him that “there is no policy banning the wearing of MAGA hats and staff have been retrained.”
Mets spokeswoman Nancy Elder said the Mets would not comment on the lawsuit.
Moody told The Post he hasn't been back to Citi Field since the MAGA hat incident and isn't sure if he ever will.
“It was embarrassing. It was heartbreaking. It was shocking. It was humiliating. How do I get back? It might take time,” she said.
