Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Chicago Sky, the city of Chicago, and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which owns and operates Wintrust Arena, according to The New York Times.
Enes Kanter Freedom Files Federal Lawsuit Over Arena Ban
The 15-page complaint alleges that Kanter Freedom’s First Amendment rights were violated when he was removed from a Chicago Sky home game and subsequently banned indefinitely from attending WNBA games at Wintrust Arena, as reported by ESPN. Kanter Freedom is seeking a declaration that his rights were violated, an order lifting his indefinite arena ban, coverage of his legal fees, and an award of nominal and compensatory damages
through a jury trial, according to The New York Times.
The Aug. 23 Altercation With Natasha Cloud
The legal action stems from an Aug. 23 game between the Sky and the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena. Kanter Freedom was sitting courtside wearing a black T-shirt that read, WOMAN noun. adult human female.
Late in the third quarter, a verbal altercation occurred between Kanter Freedom and Sky point guard Natasha Cloud.
According to ESPN, Cloud walked toward Kanter Freedom and shouted at him during a timeout. Court filings and media reports noted that Kanter Freedom stood with his arms outstretched and took a few steps toward the court before security intervened, led him away, and ejected him from the building.
Sky owner Michael Alter defended the organization’s response, stating that Kanter Freedom had begun to “chirp” and engage Cloud in an effort to provoke her. Alter noted that Kanter Freedom transformed from a fan into a potential threat when he stepped toward the court, telling ABC7 Chicago that the individual has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat
and could not control himself enough to ensure he would not step toward players again.
Defendants’ Responses and Arena Restrictions
Following the lawsuit, MPEA issued a statement indicating it had no comment on the litigation, noting that its agreement with the Chicago Sky gives the team the ability to control access to Wintrust Arena on game days. MPEA clarified that the ban imposed by the Sky applies specifically to Chicago Sky and WNBA games and does not restrict access to other events at the venue, such as concerts, comedy shows, and other sporting events, as detailed by ABC7 Chicago.
Alter stated that the franchise might consider lifting the ban in the future if someday he’s able to demonstrate he’s capable of being at a game and conducting himself in compliance with our rules and not be a threat to people,
according to The New York Times. Meanwhile, Cloud dismissed the incident ahead of a game against the New York Liberty, referring to Kanter Freedom as an irrelevant person,
as reported by The New York Times.
