A Queens woman is taking legal action against the New York Mets, demanding $2 million in damages after she claims she was denied entry to Citi Field for wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, citing emotional distress and violation of her free speech rights, the New York Post reports.
Aura Moody, 64, a social worker from Saint Albans, Queens, filed the lawsuit in Brooklyn Federal Court on September 6. Moody, who is representing herself, claims the Mets' actions amounted to "racial discrimination and political retaliation" and caused her "reputational harm.
"This country is supposed to be the beacon of freedom for all," Moody told The Post.
She explained that the incident occurred on August 14, when she and a friend, both members of the Queens Village Republican Club, were attending a Mets game against the Oakland A’s. According to the lawsuit, Moody and her friend were told by a Citi Field staffer that they could not enter wearing their MAGA hats because they were "too political."
Moody alleges she tried to assert her First Amendment rights multiple times during the confrontation, but the staffer insisted she either remove the hat or leave the stadium. Despite her protests, she ultimately agreed to take off the hat to avoid causing issues for the rest of her group, which had already entered and taken their seats.
The lawsuit details how Moody then requested to speak to a supervisor after being informed she could not even put the hat in her bag for fear she would put it back on once inside. According to court documents, the supervisor reiterated, "that’s the policy," and Moody was forced to return to her car to leave the hat behind.
Moody, a mother of two, claims the experience left her feeling "embarrassed" and "humiliated." She also noted in the lawsuit that she later saw other members of her group, including white individuals, wearing similar MAGA attire without issue.
"A Mets employee was mistaken about our attire policy," the team initially said in a statement. "We are reaching out to Aura Moody to apologize and invite her back to the ballpark."
The lawsuit acknowledges that a team representative called Moody on August 17 to apologize and clarify that there is no policy against wearing a MAGA hat at Citi Field. The representative assured Moody that the staff involved had been retrained.
Despite the apology, Moody says she has not returned to Citi Field since the incident and is unsure if she will. "It was embarrassing. It was heartbreaking. It was shocking. It was humiliating. So, how can I go back? It may take some time," she said.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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