DOJ Reviews Portland Thorns Ejection of Save Women's Sports Fans

The U.S. Department of Justice is reviewing the removal of women’s sports advocates from a Portland Thorns match at Providence Park, a department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Saturday, after video showed the group being struck with flagpoles by other fans and then escorted out by stadium security.

“The Justice Department is aware of these reports and will review the matter thoroughly. Where the facts and the law warrant action, the Department will not hesitate to act,” the spokesperson said, according to Fox News Digital. A separate DOJ official told the outlet that, based on what is known so far, the conduct “appears to raise viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment questions rather than sex discrimination.”

UPDATE: US DOJ Is Reviewing Forceful Ejection of Brandi Kruse and Fans Wearing XX-XY Shirts at Friday’s Portland Thorns Female Soccer Game https://t.co/1Ro16CHKh1

— The Gateway Pundit (@gatewaypundit) October 24, 2026

What happened in the stands

The confrontation took place Friday night during the Thorns’ National Women’s Soccer League match against the North Carolina Courage, according to OutKick and the Lynnwood Times. OutKick reported that roughly 20 spectators kept XX-XY Athletics shirts covered through the first half, then revealed them and unfurled a large “Save Women’s Sports” banner as the second half began. XX-XY Athletics is a clothing brand that argues women’s sports should be limited to biological females, the Lynnwood Times noted.

Footage published by OutKick showed members of the group being hit with flagpoles carrying transgender flags and confronted with profanity before security removed them. Activist Amy Sousa told OutKick, “We were attacked by fans. We were hit with flags,” and said she and others filed police reports afterward. OutKick also reported that its own reporter, Matt Calkins, had his phone knocked from his hand and beer poured on his neck while documenting the scene.

Seattle commentator Brandi Kruse, a former television journalist who hosts the independent program unDivided, was among those removed. Video she posted shows a security guard pinning her arm behind her back and pushing her through the stands, according to the Lynnwood Times. “An @xx_xyathletics shirt is not hate speech,” Kruse wrote on X during the match, as quoted by Sport & State.

The other side

The Thorns said the group violated fan guidelines on the distribution of unapproved materials, according to We Are Portland. Kruse questioned why her group was being removed after being attacked, OutKick reported, while the Thorns and the NWSL had not responded to requests for comment from Sport & State. Providence Park security director Jim McCausland said he did not have time to speak, according to OutKick.

Portland Police Bureau Sergeant Kevin Allen told Fox News Digital that off-duty officers working the game were not involved in any removals and were called only when some people refused to leave and lay down blocking an exit. Allen said two potential crimes were reported, one alleged harassment and one alleged vandalism, and that both are under investigation. He said no injuries were reported to police and no arrests or citations were issued.

Why the venue matters

Providence Park is owned by the City of Portland and operated by a private company, Peregrine Sports, according to Fox News Digital, which noted that viewpoint discrimination generally involves the government restricting speech because of the opinion expressed. That public ownership is likely to be central to any federal review.

The incident lands in the middle of a national fight over whether biological males should compete in women’s sports, an issue the Trump administration has made a priority. No federal charges or findings have been announced, and the Justice Department has said only that it is reviewing the matter.

Sources

• Fox News Digital / OutKick
• Lynnwood Times
• We Are Portland
• Sport & State

Reporting by Daily Beltway.