Brittney Griner Cancels Appearance at Marijuana Conference After Finding ‘Threatening’ Note in Her Hotel Room

Brittney Griner canceled an appearance at a cannabis conference in Maryland on Monday after a “threatening” note was found in her hotel room, according to event organizers.

The Atlanta Dream center, 34, was scheduled to appear at the Women Grow Leadership Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, but backed out due to security concerns.

Griner allegedly found a piece of duct tape with the words “Gay Baby Jail” written near the door of her hotel room, CBS affiliate WUSA-TV reported.

Prince George County Police told the station that the message was an unfortunate coincidence and was left in the room by a previous guest.

“Detectives have learned the phrase ‘gay baby jail’ is commonly used as a video game reference,” police said in a statement. “At the time the tape was located, a large convention was taking place at the Gaylord which attracts thousands of people, many with an interest in anime as well as video game enthusiasts.”

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A representative with the police department did not return PEOPLE’s request for comment nor did representatives for the hotel.

Women Grow, which touted the WNBA star — along with former NFL running back Ricky Williams — as a special guest at its conference, supported Griner’s decision.

“We were really excited because she brings a beacon of hope to our industry, but we know security is a major importance,” Women Grow CEO Dr. Chanda Macias told the news station. “If there was a woman that feels threatened at any reason whatsoever, they should do what they feel is best for them.”

Griner has previously been involved in incidents in which her safety was called into question.

Months after she returned to the U.S. in a prisoner swap after being detained in a Russian prison on drug charges for 10 months in 2022, the athlete was traveling with her Phoenix Mercury teammates when a North Texas YouTuber named Alex Stein approached her at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in June 2023.

Video of the incident showed Stein pushing the team’s security guard while trying to get closer to Griner, while yelling sexually and politically charged questions.

The Texas native spoke out about the issue as the incident cast criticism over the WNBA’s then-policy against providing teams with private air travel.

Last May, the league announced that teams would begin chartering flights for all WNBA teams.