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Nationals fire community relations director over allegedly admitting to religious discrimination: report
By Jon Root
Published May 29, 2026
The Washington Nationals have been in hot water this week after the founder of O'Keefe Media group, James O’Keefe, published a secretly recorded video of the director of community relations, Sean Hudson, saying that the team does not include pitcher Trevor Williams in certain social media promotion because of religiously-based comments he has made in the past.
The video has prompted calls for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to probe the organization, from politicians such as Representative Lauren Boebert. "I urged the DOJ to take immediate and decisive action," Boebert said.
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Trevor Williams of the Washington Nationals sits in the dugout before a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Wash., on May 28, 2025. (Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Now, according to a report on Friday from The Athletic, "The Washington Nationals have let go of a community relations executive, three days after a conservative group posted a hidden camera conversation in which the employee discussed internal deliberations about everything from an alleged social media ban on a Catholic pitcher to relationships with defense contractors and the organization’s efforts to placate President Trump."
Williams was said to be specifically targeted by Hudson because Williams opposed the anti-Catholic group, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which was honored by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The group openly mocks Jesus Christ and many Christian and Catholic traditions. Hudson was caught on hidden camera saying, "The Dodgers had a group… who were drag queens who sometimes dressed up as nuns. He [Trevor Williams] went on social media like… 'This is my religion. You all are mocking it…' Because of that, we [Washington Nationals] don’t use him [Trevor Williams] on social [media]."
Trevor Williams pitches for the Washington Nationals against the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on May 24, 2023. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Even though discrimination against Christians and Catholics is a serious issue, Williams chose to respond to the controversy with humor.
On Friday, Williams posted a carousel of photos on Instagram. One image featured a hat with the phrase "Bad day to be a hot dog" stitched across the front. Williams added the word "SANDWICH" over the image of the hot dog, a clear reference to Hudson's claim that the Nationals excluded him from a social media video in which players were asked whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
"Like, when they're like, 'Is a hot dog a sandwich?' and the players come up, you know what I mean? We don't ask him," Hudson said in the undercover video, referring to Williams.
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Other allegations from the secret recording included Hudson's claim that the Nationals used data related to fans' Google search histories and participated in segregated LGBTQ+ corporate meetings. The Nationals have denied those allegations.
The Washington Nationals have not released any public statements regarding the news of Hudson’s firing, but did issue a statement to Fox News Digital:
"The statements are not only factually incorrect, but do not reflect the views, opinions or actions of the Washington Nationals," a spokesperson said. "The Nationals are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for our players, fans and staff, and we vehemently deny any allegations to the contrary."
In response to the news, O'Keefe Media Group told me, "We are glad to see that Nationals fans are getting the accountability many of them have called for. No one should be discriminated against because of their religion, including Trevor Williams. The firing of Sean Hudson is only the first step toward accountability. It appears that the Department of Justice is also interested in examining the Nationals’ conduct. We look forward to seeing what further steps are taken to ensure that no MLB player faces discrimination based on their religious beliefs, including their faith in Jesus Christ."
Hudson has not responded to calls, texts or emails regarding the matter.
https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/nationals-fire-community-relations-director-allegedly-religious-discrimination