Aura Moody says the New York Mets caused her “emotional distress” by making her take off her Make American Great Again hat before an Aug. 14 game at Citi Field. On Friday, she filed a lawsuit seeking $2 million in damages.
In her filing, Moody said she attended the game against the Oakland Athletics with other members of the Queens Village Republican Club. The 64-year-old told the New York Post that she made it through security without issue, but a Citi Field staffer stopped her before she could reach her seat.
Moody claimed that the employee asked her to take the cap away from the stadium — placing it in her bag wasn’t enough. She then stashed the hat in her vehicle, according to the lawsuit.
“It was embarrassing. It was heartbreaking. It was shocking. It was humiliating,” Moody told the Post.
A team spokesperson later told the Post that the staffer “was mistaken about our attire policy.” The team called Moody to apologize and invited her back to the ballpark.
“How can I go back?” Moody said. “It may take some time.”
The Republican’s lawsuit, which was filed in Brooklyn Federal Court this month, claims racial discrimination. Moody, who is Black, noted in the filing that she saw several White people wearing MAGA gear when she finally made it to her seat.
The Mets have not issued any comments on the litigation.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.