Enes Kanter Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Sky, its operator, and the City of Chicago, alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was ejected from Wintrust Arena and subsequently banned. The lawsuit stems from an incident on August 23 where Freedom was removed from a game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever following an altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
Freedom, a former NBA player and vocal activist, stated in his complaint filed in U.S. District Court that he was "peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights" while sitting courtside. He was wearing a T-shirt that read, "WOMAN noun, adult human female." The lawsuit names Chicago Women’s Basketball Operations, LLC, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), and the City of Chicago as defendants, accusing them of conspiring to discriminate against him based on his "verbal and demonstrable expression of viewpoint and gender identity."
The suit further claims that the defendants "compounded and exacerbated Plaintiff’s injuries when they subsequently banned Plaintiff indefinitely from attendance." Freedom has been an outspoken advocate for the protection of women's sports and has stated that he believes he is eligible to play in the WNBA based on current league rules, a stance that has drawn significant backlash.
The lawsuit asserts that Freedom "has been the target of a torrent of hateful attacks and discriminatory actions based on Plaintiff’s viewpoint and gender identity." The Chicago Sky and MPEA have not immediately responded to requests for comment, and an official for the City of Chicago stated that the city does not comment on pending litigation.