Jason Sinarajah apologized during a live interview to Catholics and pitcher Trevor Williams, saying the team was “horrified by the comments made on the video.”
The Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Jason Sinnarajah apologized during a live interview to Catholics, fans, and pitcher Trevor Williams following the emergence of a team executive admitting on video that there was bias against Williams because of his Christian faith.
This week, O’Keefe Media Group published footage appearing to show Nationals' director of community relations Sean Hudson saying the organization had instructed staff not to post Williams on social media because of the pitcher’s past public defense of his faith. Hudson said on video the team reduced Williams’ social media presence after Williams publicly criticized the Los Angeles Dodgers for inviting a drag group to a Pride Night that is known for mocking Catholic nuns.
In response to the video, the Nationals issued a statement saying, “The statements are not only factually incorrect, but do not reflect the views, opinions or actions of the Washington Nationals.”
https://twitter.com/JamesOKeefeIII/status/2060560136804954555?s=20
However, during Friday’s pregame show, Sinnarajah addressed the controversy directly and said the organization was “horrified by the comments made on the video.” He also confirmed that Hudson had been fired.
“The comments don’t reflect us as an organization, our values and who we are. We took action right away and the individual is no longer employed by the team,” Sinnarajah said.
Sinnarajah then apologized to Williams, saying the team feels “awful that he’s been dragged into this situation and hope this hasn’t been a distraction as he gets ready to get back on the field.”
Williams has been on the injured list, recovering from Tommy John surgery since last July. He has not commented on the controversy, though on his Instagram page on Friday, he posted a bible passage, saying he was “closer than ever to getting back onto the mound at Nationals Park — and I cannot wait.”
Libby’s Desk
Commentary and must-reads from Libby’s desk, straight to your inbox.
TPM Newsletter
The Post Millennial’s top stories, delivered to your inbox.
