The West Michigan Whitecaps baseball team acknowledged after receiving a complaint from FFRF that any publication would suffice to qualify for an “All Faiths Day” promotion. The team had promoted the discount saying, “keep your church bulletins and bring them with you when you get your tickets because you get half-priced box and reserved seat tickets!” Staff Attorney Stephanie Schmitt wrote to the team president on July 18, 2011, notifying him that the bulletin discount was discriminatory. Schmitt sent several follow-up letters.
An attorney for the team responded on Aug. 9, 2012, saying that the team website said that the promotion was available for those who “show a worship or community bulletin.” The attorney said, “In actual practice, the Whitecaps accept any secular publication, such as school newsletters, community recreation department fliers, apartment and home association newsletters, municipal newsletters, and trade association newsletters and publications. . . If a patron brought a FFRF newsletter, they would be given the same discount as a patron bringing a church bulletin.”
