Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe announced his intention to sue his former NFL team this week, claiming that attorneys investigating his unceremonious departure earlier this year had reneged on a promise by failing to make their findings public.
Back in January, Kluwe alleged in an article on Deadspin that he had been released from the team for his LGBT activism, and was constantly challenged by the “virulently homophobic” views of special teams coordinator Mike Priefer in the locker room. “Priefer also said on multiple occasions that I would wind up burning in hell with the gays,” Kluwe wrote, “and I responded in kind, as I felt a yelling match with my coach over human rights would greatly diminish my chances of remaining employed.”
In response to the explosive allegations, the Minnesota Vikings opened an investigation into the matter and hired an independent law firm to determine the validity of Kluwe’s claims.
Well, the six-month investigation concluded this month and attorneys for the Vikings have announced that the findings will not be made available to the public or Kluwe. Speculation that the Vikings made this decision in order to protect Priefer was fueled by Kluwe’s lawyer, Clayton Halunen, in a press conference Tuesday morning.
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ESPN reports:
In a news conference Tuesday morning, Halunen and Kluwe claimed they have learned the report will corroborate Kluwe’s initial allegations.
…
Priefer issued a statement Jan. 2 in which he “vehemently” denied Kluwe’s claims, including an allegation that the coach said during a November 2012 meeting, “We should round up all the gays, send them to an island and nuke it until it glows.”
Halunen said Tuesday, though, that “we do know” Priefer later admitted making the comments when he was interviewed by investigators.
Attorneys for the Vikings are claiming that they never agreed to provide Kluwe or the public with the results of their investigation. Kluwe has agreed to drop the charges of “religious discrimination, sexual-orientation discrimination, defamation and ‘tortious interference with contractual relations'” if the report is made available to him.
Halunen is said to have scheduled a meeting with the Vikings’ attorneys to discuss the matter on Thursday. We’ll keep you updated with future developments.
cformusic
this dude needs to go away..it’s getting annoying..plus we got Michael Sam now, thanks for all of your support, but we’ll take it from here Chris
DennisBTR
You have got to be kidding me cformusic. Chris Kluwe is one of the reasons Michael Sam was able to come out publically. Mr. Kluwe needs to pursue this matter until we all know what happened and all the reasons why he was dismissed from the team, especially if any are homophobic.
dan1989
@cformusic: lol this guy puts his neck on the line for actively supporting LGBT players in sports along with the LGBT community which lets face it, is a risk in itself within the NFL. He stood up against his homophobic seniors within the locker room when most other players would turn a Blind eye and you say we now ‘have Michael Sam’ you dont care? You strike me as very fickle, and you certainly don’t speak for me, we should support those who support us.
RSun
@dan1989: Exactly. Get a clue cformusic.
brianmovie
Kluwe stared the conversation about gay people playing football.
lykeitiz
@cformusic: Yeah…….what @dan1989:
Get a clue.
lykeitiz
…What dan said
Black Pegasus
I wish him luck. It took huge amount of courage to advocate for a group of people who often won’t advocate for themselves because of the closet. I hope he sues the NFL and expose their bigoted practices.
masc4masc
What a diva! His drama queen antics are getting so old. He should just come out already. I’m guessing he’s is a total bottom.
James Hart
@masc4masc: I can’t believe he’s a straight dude. Anyone who makes this much noise PRO or ANTI gay must be a friend of Dorothy.
Kidomega123
@masc4masc: I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to show up and troll this article. *Yawn* get a new routine already.
masc4masc
@James Hart: Activism is one thing. Kluwe was the Kim Kardashian of the NFL. It was all about publicity and more publicity. Coaches are known for steering clear of those types of players. Too much drama. Only a fem total bottom can be that dramatic and vindictive. Dead giveaway.
MCHG
How about this, if you want to be an activist or a politician, follow those respective career paths. If you want to be an athlete then do that, bearing in mind that your actions have an effect on others (and their paychecks) either positively or negatively.I’m not saying that athletes can’t have political views, or that Klewe’s views were necessarily wrong, but by making the kind of accusation he did, he put others at the center of his activism. He presented no evidence of homophobia by the part of the NFL and the team’s employees. Someone making baseless accusations about their employers should expect to be dealt with.
TristtheTwist
@MCHG:
First and foremost, learn to spell the dude’s name before attacking him, secondly we have this wonderful thing called “The First Amendment”, I suggest you read up on it sometime, and finally I sincerely doubt Mr. Kluwe or whoever he hires as his legal counsel, should he indeed file a lawsuit, would reveal all of the details surrounding the case.
TristtheTwist
@James Hart: @masc4masc: @masc4masc: Wow, you all certainly know how to garner supporters to the cause for gay rights. Just as a male can be for women’s rights, so to can a straight male be for gay rights. By asserting that someone is gay, simply by supporting gay rights is in of itself being a hindrance to the LGBT rights movement… you scare would be supporters into silence and complacency.
David
@mac4masc The only dead-giveaway I see on this page is someone who has named themselves “masc4masc” and says that “only a fem total bottom” can be that dramatic and vindictive.
You protest WAY too much for someone who has no struggle with their identity. Please get in touch with that bottom inside of you that is dying to come out.
BTW, ascribing drama and vindictiveness to total bottoms is just wrong and seriously homophobic.
masc4masc
@TristtheTwist: Not sure why you included me in that logic because I clearly made a distinction between actual activism and the circus Kluwe created. The Kluwes, Kardashians and Macklemores out there are NOT activists; they’re opportunists. How sad that some of you are so mindless and desperate for acceptance that you don’t mind being used by the bottom of the barrel.
@David: I’m not sorry that my screen name obviously threatens you and makes you feel inadequate. I can only speak from my experiences, and in my experiences, fem guys are intentionally bitchy and extremely vindictive. I don’t see how stating that is homophobic. Are you saying all gay men are fem bottoms? Yeah, someone’s homophobic alright….
Teeth
If we can’t show some loyalty to those who support us, then we don’t deserve their support.