The Padres have fired a third-party contractor the team determined was responsible for the audio flap Saturday that prevented the San Diego Gay Men's Chorus from performing the national anthem.
In a statement Sunday night, the team called the incident an "unintentional mistake" but said the lack of immediate action to correct the error played a part in the decision to fire the contractor involved. An internal investigation determined there was no malicious intent, the statement said.
Statement from the #Padres regarding last night's National Anthem: pic.twitter.com/xBlT6WdPa1
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) May 23, 2016
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The San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus was prepared to sing the national anthem Saturday when a recorded voice of a woman singing came over the loudspeakers. When the song ended, the 100 members were escorted off the field and were heckled by a number of fans in the stands.
Bob Lehman, the chorus' executive director, said in a statement earlier Sunday that the incident raised "serious questions about homophobia within the San Diego Padres organization and its relationship with the LGBT community."
In the Padres' statement, the team cited its "longstanding commitment to inclusion" and accepted "full responsibility" for the mistake.