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Native Americans Send List Of Demands To Giants After Filing Claim For Being Ejected From AT&T Park

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— An attorney representing two Native Americans who were ejected from AT&T Park during a Giants' game last June has sent a letter to the team with a list of demands after filing a claim seeking damages against the city.

April Negrette and Kimball Bighorse are suing the City and County of San Francisco for injuries and civil rights violations stemming from an incident June 23rd where they were kicked out after confronting a fan wearing a fake, plastic, costume headdress during the team's Native American Heritage Night.

Represented by attorney Rachel Ledermen, who held a news conference Tuesday morning in front of the Willie Mays statue at the ballpark, the letter sent to the Giants asks the team to expand language in the code of conduct about using spiritual and religious artifacts, include cultural sensitivity training to all security staff and to not display team names like the "Braves" or "Indians" at the ballpark.

They said that the team currently has a blanket statement for cultural insensitivity, but they are concerned with institutional racism in professional sports against Native Americans in particular. They would like to see the Giants take a stand to encourage other sports teams to adopt similar policies.

Bighorse recounted the incident from his perspective at the news conference and said him and Negrette were speaking to some fans who were wearing the "counterfeit" headdress backwards in what he said was a "disrespectful" fashion. "We were just expressing our feelings on the matter," he said.

Native Americans Send List Of Demands To Giants After Filing Claim For Being Ejected From AT&T Park

According to Lederman, they have not yet decided to name the team in the lawsuit.

"That depends on the Giants' response," she said. "We're giving them the opportunity to work it out."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Giants said they are reviewing the claim and that they have amended language in the fan code of conduct after the incident to include "culturally insensitive" attire.

KCBS has put in a request to the office of City Attorney Dennis Herrera for comment and is waiting to hear back.

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