Nationals executive fired after undercover video sparks controversy over comments about Catholic pitcher

Washington Nationals executive Sean Hudson has been fired days after an undercover video showed him saying the team excluded pitcher Trevor Williams from certain social media content because of the player's Catholic faith.

Hudson, the Nationals' director of community relations, was recorded by an undercover reporter with O'Keefe Media Group in footage released May 26. In the video, Hudson said the team avoided featuring Williams in lighthearted social media posts after the pitcher publicly criticized the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023 for honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag performance group known for mocking Catholicism. 

>> 'We don’t use him on social’: Washington Nationals executive caught on camera excluding Catholic pitcher for his faith << 

The Nationals parted ways with Hudson May 29, three days after the video's release, sources told The Athletic. 

The team declined to comment on Hudson's employment status, citing a policy against discussing personnel matters publicly, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the Nationals claimed in a comment to The Athletic that the team had issued no directive to exclude Williams from social media content. The spokesperson said that Williams, who is currently injured, has been featured in some social media posts, and that Hudson is not on the social media management team. 

The Athletic cited a May 28 statement from a Nationals account executive that stated Hudson's comments were "factually incorrect" and "do not reflect the views, opinions or actions of the Washington Nationals,” adding that she could not discuss "personal matters" but would pass concerns "along to the appropriate people internally."    

In comments to Zeale News, CatholicVote Vice President of Advocacy Joshua Mercer spoke approvingly of Hudson's firing, as reported by The Athletic. "This is a decisive victory, and we're grateful to all the Catholics and other people of goodwill who joined us in speaking out."

It remains "disturbing that this happened in the first place," however, Mercer added. "We need to renew our call to root out anti-Christian bigotry in our country. After all, why did this person feel perfectly free to share such odious views against people of faith?"

He also said that CatholicVote would still welcome a Justice Department civil rights investigation of the Washington Nationals "for their workplace environment and to ensure that they take steps to uproot anti-religious discrimination.”

Williams: Christians are called to witness to the truth 

On the same day as The Athletic’s report, Williams posted a reflection on his social media accounts that appeared to address the controversy without directly mentioning Hudson or the footage.

Drawing from the Catholic liturgical reading for the day, 1 Peter 4:7-13, Williams wrote, “The first verse of the reading today is the ‘end of all things is at hand.’ Everything ends. Everything passes away. We know what’s coming, what’s already here and we know the God who loves us and who loves even those who don’t even believe in him.”

Williams said the passage speaks to “the social costs of the faith” and the sometimes-awkward moments that come with publicly living out Christian convictions.

"Sometimes we lean into it and bravely bear witness to Christ's truth; sometimes we dodge it and regret it later, feeling we've let Jesus down," Williams said, quoting his friend, a Catholic priest.

Williams said Christians are called in such moments to "love, to suffer, and to sacrifice," adding that those who act like Christ "share in the merciful work of Jesus" even "in the face of even the smallest insult."

Williams concluded the post with an update on his recovery from an injury, saying he is "closer than ever to getting back out onto the mound at Nationals Park,” followed by “JMJ,” an abbreviation for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. 

CatholicVote says questions remain 

As Zeale News previously reported, CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt sent letters on May 27 to the Washington Nationals and the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division seeking answers about Hudson's remarks.

After outlets reported the Nationals account executive’s statement saying concerns would be passed "along to the appropriate people internally,” Reinhardt argued that the organization’s response was inadequate.

"We are now waiting for the 'appropriate people' from the Washington Nationals to come out with an official statement,” Reinhardt said. “A boilerplate response from a lower-level official, as well meaning as it may be, does not address with the necessary seriousness the specific questions we have posed."

Reinhardt called on the Nationals to clarify whether Hudson's comments reflected any policy or practice within the organization and whether Williams was ever denied social media exposure or promotional opportunities because of his Catholic faith or public religious expression.

She also asked whether other players, employees, contractors, or job applicants had faced disparate treatment because of their religious beliefs, what disciplinary action the team intended to take in response to Hudson’s remarks, and what safeguards were in place to prevent discrimination against Catholics.

She said, "The Washington Nationals still owe Catholics, Nationals fans, Major League Baseball, and their own players an immediate, top-level clarification.”