The Job Creators Network filed a 21-page lawsuit in New York City against Major League Baseball following the relocation of the July 13 All-Star game from Atlanta to Denver.
What We Know:
- The Job Creators Network is seeking $100 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages from MLB. They describe themselves as a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to educate and protect people who depend on small business success. They demand that the game return to Atlanta.
- On April 2, MLB relocated the game and the draft as a direct result of the Election Integrity Act signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp in March. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star game and MLB Draft,” Commissioner Rob Manfred stated in the announcement.
- The national outcry over the Election Integrity Act is largely due to its strict measures on early voting times, the requirement of photo ID to vote by mail, among other restrictions. Job Creators Network argues that the Act has nothing to do with baseball and that the MLB’s decision to move was intended to punish business owners.
- The complaint states that the Atlanta metro area has suffered economic loss as a result of this decision, citing more than 8,000 canceled hotel reservations. However, the Job Creators Network may still struggle to prove legal standing in the case as MLB had no direct legal duty to their organization.
While the lawsuit may be nothing more than publicity, organizations like MLB and the NCAA have begun to take a stand against legislation they feel contradicts their values.
