CALGARY — Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has taken his fight with the Chicago Sky to federal court, filing a lawsuit alleging that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was ejected from a WNBA game and subsequently banned from the team's home arena.Kanter Freedom filed the 15-page complaint Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division.The lawsuit names Chicago Women’s Basketball Operations, LLC, which operates the Sky, as well as the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which owns and operates Wintrust Arena, and the City of Chicago as defendants.The case stems from an Aug. 23 game between the Sky and Indiana Fever, when Kanter Freedom was sitting courtside wearing a black T-shirt reading, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”During the third quarter, Kanter Freedom became involved in a verbal confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Security intervened and escorted him from the arena. The Sky subsequently announced that Kanter Freedom was indefinitely banned from attending the team's home games at Wintrust Arena..Sky owner Michael Alter previously said the ban was not based simply on Kanter Freedom's political or social views, but on his conduct during the confrontation.Alter said Kanter Freedom had demonstrated that he could be a potential threat and that the team was not prepared to allow him back into the arena until he could demonstrate that he could follow the rules.Kanter Freedom's lawsuit tells a different story.The complaint alleges that he was “peacefully exercising” his First Amendment rights when he was removed and claims the Sky, MPEA and Chicago police “worked together” to eject him in retaliation for his expression and subsequently enforce his ban.The former NBA center also alleges that he was subjected to profanity and racial slurs from some spectators during the game, while claiming those fans were not removed.According to the complaint, Kanter Freedom believes the confrontation with Cloud was motivated by the message on his shirt and his public advocacy concerning women's sports.The lawsuit argues that the involvement of public entities and the publicly financed Wintrust Arena gives rise to constitutional protections that would not necessarily apply in the same way to a purely private venue..Kanter Freedom is asking the court to declare that the defendants violated his constitutional rights and to provide relief from the ban. He is also seeking nominal and compensatory damages and has demanded a jury trial.In a post announcing the lawsuit, Kanter Freedom said he would not be intimidated or silenced.Freedom has publicly criticized transgender participation in women's athletics and recently announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft. Former NBA player Royce White has made a similar declaration. A person familiar with the league's position told The Associated Press that the two are not eligible to play in the WNBA.The WNBA's existing draft rules contain requirements beyond simply submitting a declaration. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, domestic players generally must meet age and college-eligibility requirements, while the agreement contains separate provisions for players who attended four-year colleges and for international players..The WNBA has also addressed the broader controversy surrounding transgender participation.In a statement, the league described recent efforts to provoke controversy over transgender athletes as "bad-faith" efforts and said there were no current eligibility issues involving transgender players. The league said it remained committed to fair competition and respectful discussion.The controversy follows comments from Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham about transgender athletes in women's sports, which generated debate both inside and outside the league.As of publication, the Chicago Sky, MPEA and City of Chicago had not publicly responded to Kanter Freedom’s lawsuit.
