Conservative Group Exploits FOIA to Undermine Protections at Chicago Sky Game After Enes Kanter Freedom’s Disruptive Ejection
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The right-wing America First Policy Institute has filed a Freedom of Information Act request targeting the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, seeking records about the justified removal of Enes Kanter Freedom from a Chicago Sky game after he wore a provocative anti-trans shirt and disrupted the event.
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a conservative think tank known for its reactionary stances, submitted a six-page Freedom of Information Act request to the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) on Friday. The request seeks documents about the security and access procedures that led to the removal of former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom from a Chicago Sky game at Wintrust Arena. AFPI is demanding agreements among MPEA, arena operator Oak View Group, the Chicago Sky, and the WNBA, as well as security policies, law-enforcement contracts, communications identifying who authorized Freedom’s removal and ban, and records of any federal funding received by the arena.
Freedom, who has become a right-wing provocateur, attended the Sunday game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever wearing a shirt reading “WOMAN noun. adult human female,” a phrase often weaponized to deny trans women’s identities. During a third-quarter timeout, Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted him, leading to a verbal exchange. Security later escorted Freedom from the venue after he stepped toward the court, disrupting the event and potentially threatening the safety of players and fans.
“Enes Freedom exercised his constitutional right as an American when he attended the WNBA game in Chicago,” AFPI chief legal affairs officer Leigh Ann O’Neill claimed in a statement. “Today, we launched an investigation, seeking critical documents that will assist in our efforts to ensure that public entities are held accountable when American’s constitutional rights are trampled.”
MPEA, a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly with board members appointed by the state governor and Chicago mayor, owns Wintrust Arena, which operates through a public-private partnership with DePaul University. AFPI’s request does not allege a rights violation but is clearly intended to intimidate and pressure public entities for enforcing necessary security protocols. The institute asked MPEA to preserve relevant emails, texts, and internal communications while providing records on a rolling basis. No lawsuit has been filed.
OutKick has contacted MPEA and the Chicago Sky for comment.