Enes Kanter Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit against the Chicago Sky, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), and the City of Chicago, alleging violations of his First Amendment rights following an incident during a WNBA game on August 23, 2026. The lawsuit, filed on September 3, 2026, claims that the defendants conspired to discriminate against Freedom due to his views on women’s sports and gender identity, leading to his ejection from Wintrust Arena and a subsequent ban from future Sky games.
The incident occurred during the Chicago Sky’s home game against the Indiana Fever. Freedom was courtside wearing a shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” According to Freedom’s complaint, Sky guard Natasha Cloud initiated a confrontation, which Freedom claims was triggered by his shirt and his public stance on women’s sports. Freedom maintains he did not threaten Cloud or attempt to enter the court, stating he took only one step before security intervened.
The Chicago Sky, however, presents a different account. Owner Michael Alter stated that Freedom was “chirping” at Cloud and attempting to provoke her, and that his actions, including standing up, extending his arms, and stepping towards the court, constituted a potential threat, necessitating security intervention. Alter emphasized that Freedom’s conduct, not his viewpoint, was the reason for the ejection.
Following the incident, Freedom was banned from attending future Chicago Sky home games at Wintrust Arena. Freedom considers this ban unconstitutional. While the ban primarily applies to Sky games, it is not a blanket prohibition from all events at the publicly owned Wintrust Arena.
The lawsuit’s legal complexity arises from the intersection of a private sports team’s actions and a publicly owned arena. Freedom’s legal team argues that the alleged cooperation between the Sky, MPEA, and the City of Chicago implicates government action, thus bringing First Amendment protections into play. MPEA, however, maintains that the Sky independently made the decision to remove and ban Freedom, with no involvement from MPEA employees.
The WNBA Fan Code of Conduct prohibits disruptive behavior, foul language, and attempts to enter the court, with penalties including ejection and bans from future games. The WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that
