Older Baseball Fans File Class Action Against the Washington Nationals for Age Bias in Ticket Pricing
Fans allege that the Nationals’ “Millennial” and “Young Professionals Ticket Discount” violated D.C.’s public accommodations law that prohibits age discrimination
WASHINGTON, DC—March 28, 2024—Today, two older baseball fans filed a class action lawsuit against the Washington Nationals that alleged that the team engaged in unlawful age discrimination by offering a 30% ticket discount and $5 to $15 per-ticket spending credits to 21- to 39-year-old fans without offering equivalent deals to fans who are 40 or older.
The lawsuit, filed in the D.C. Superior Court, alleges that in 2023 the Nationals introduced a “Millennial Ticket Discount” for 21- to 39-year-old fans that provided a 30% discount for tickets to regular season games and a $5 to $15 per-ticket spending credit, but the Nationals did not offer an equivalent discount or spending credit to fans who are 40 or older. In 2024, the Nationals rebranded this discount as the “Young Professionals Discount” with the same basic terms, but still denied the same discount and spending credit to fans 40 or older.
The plaintiffs are represented by Peter Romer-Friedman of Peter Romer-Friedman Law PLLC, a civil rights and public interest law firm based in Washington, DC, and Ryan Hancock of Willig Williams and Davidson, a labor and civil rights law firm based in Philadelphia.
The lawsuit alleges that by offering a 30% discount and spending credits to 21- to 39-year-old fans, but not to people 40 or older, the Nationals violated the D.C. Human Rights Act, which bars places of public accommodation from discriminating based on age. The lawsuit also alleges the Nationals violated D.C.’s consumer protection law by violating the Human Rights Act in the context of a consumer transaction and by telling consumers that all Millennials would get a 30% discount but then denying the discount to Millennials who were 40- to 42-years-old in 2023. In the complaint, the plaintiffs seek an injunction to stop the Nationals from violating D.C. law in the future and compensation for older fans whose rights were allegedly denied.
Nick Snyder, a 40-year-old baseball fan, said “It makes no sense for the Nationals to offer a 30% discount to people who are 21 to 39 years old, but deny it to me because I’m 40. We hope that the Nationals will abandon this irrational and unfair policy.”
David Coyne, a 58-year-old baseball fan, said “Nats tickets should be affordable for all people, especially lower income fans. But giving a 30% discount to anyone between 21 and 39 years old isn’t the right way to make baseball affordable, and it unfairly discriminates against older fans. I know the Nationals can find a better way to attract fans to take part in America’s pastime.”
Peter Romer-Friedman, co-lead counsel in the lawsuit, said “The D.C. Human Rights Act prohibits businesses from discriminating against customers based on their age and the Nationals’ Young Professionals Ticket Discount is a blatant form of age discrimination against older fans. The Nationals’ policy illustrates how bias against older people has become widespread in America. By filing this lawsuit, we hope to send a clear message to all businesses that age discrimination is wrong and it can violate the law.”
Ryan Hancock, co-lead counsel in the lawsuit, said “Older people face unprecedented discrimination in every facet of American life, including employment, housing, and public accommodations. We urge the Nationals to change this policy so that baseball fans of all ages can enjoy Nationals games at more affordable prices.”
Contacts:
Peter Romer-Friedman, Peter Romer-Friedman Law, peter@prf-law.com, (202) 355-6364
Ryan Hancock, Willig Williams and Davidson, rhancock@wwdlaw.com, (215) 913-7165
Case Documents
Media
Rachel Weiner, A millennial sued over Nats’ ‘Young Professionals’ discount. It vanished., Wash. Post (Mar. 28, 2024).
