On Thursday, the Job Creators Network (JCN) responded to a Manhattan judge’s decision to reject their lawsuit against Major League Baseball for moving its All-Star Game out of Atlanta.
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni ruled against the non-profit representing small businesses seeking restitution to the businesses in Atlanta — many of which are owned and operated by minorities — that will lose millions with the loss of baseball’s Al-Star Game.
JCN President and CEO, Alfredo Ortiz, released a statement the judge’s orders:
“The judge’s disappointing ruling is just one strike against us, and we are still up to bat, looking to appeal our case to the Second Circuit or directly to the Supreme Court. To be clear, JCN lost on standing; MLB did not win on the merits. By demonstrating clear harm to our members and us as an organization, we believe that the judge erred in her decision, and we do have standing. Yet the muddled debate over standing shouldn’t obscure this case’s merits, which are in our favor. The Job Creators Network filed this lawsuit to right a wrong committed by Major League Baseball that cost Atlanta small businesses $100 million at a time they need it most. The MLB didn’t win on this point.”
“The MLB politically retaliated against Georgia small businesses and unfairly punished them in an act of virtue signaling. As the nation’s leading small business organization, JCN has no choice but to continue fighting for these small businesses that can’t stand up to MLB on their own. If we don’t continue to fight for small businesses, they will continue to be victimized as they have been by the MLB, destroying the backbone of our communities. JCN is still at the plate in this case. And when it comes to fighting for small businesses, we will always swing for the fences.”
JCN’s lawsuit sought $100 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages against MLB.
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