Pat Haden won't be visiting Indiana anytime soon.
The USC athletic director is declining to attend this week's College Football Playoff Committee Meeting in Indianapolis because of the state's recent passing of the controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Per the Washington Post, the law forbids governments from instituting any "substantial burden" on the exercising of religion by an individual or a business. But critics of the act argue that it may allow discrimination "by giving business owners, landlords and others the right to refuse service to gays under the guise of religious protection," the newspaper notes.
Haden, who has a gay son and is part of the 13-member CFP Committee, tweeted out his feelings on the issue Tuesday.
I am the proud father of a gay son. In his honor, I will not be attending the CFP committee meeting in Indy this week. #EmbraceDiversity
— Pat Haden (@ADHadenUSC) March 31, 2015
The bill, which was signed into law last week by Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, is seen by many critics as backlash against same-sex marriage. According to the Post, the law is set to be "clarified" to make it clear that it does not allow discrimination of gays.
"I certainly understand and respect Pat's position," College Football Playoff Executive Director Bill Hancock told USA TODAY Sports. "Everyone has the right to express their personal opinion and Pat, to his credit, has expressed his. As a father and also a human being, I respect him for that. I will also express my personal opinion: I think they need to fix this.
"But my focus is on sports. Other people who are more knowledgeable that I am are better positioned to address this matter. Our group's focus will remain on sports."
NCAA President Mark Emmert released a statement last week, reveling the NCAA's concerns:
"The NCAA national office and our members are deeply committed to providing an inclusive environment for all our events," the statement read. "We are especially concerned about how this legislation could affect our student-athletes and employees. ... Moving forward, we intend to closely examine the implications of this bill and how it might affect future events as well as our workforce."
On a side note, the Trojans will meet rival Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, this fall.
