Chris Kluwe announces settlement in homophobic remarks lawsuit

Chris Kluwe announced the settlement 

Former Minnesota Vikings NFL player Chris Kluwe on Friday announced that he had reached a settlement with the team after he alleged a coach made homophobic remarks.

A press conference formally announcing the settlement has been scheduled for Monday, Kluwe’s lawyer Clayton Haluyen said.

After he was dismissed from the team, amid claims that his support for gay rights was the cause, the Vikings were forced to conduct an investigation into homophobia within the team management.

Kluwe had alleged that assistant coach Mike Priefer in 2012 made homophobic remarks. Priefer was suspended for three games following the investigation.

The former punter announced the lawsuit against the team, for $10 million. He said he would donate any proceeds to LGBT charities.

The settlement announcement will be made on Monday.

In March 2013, Kluwe filed an amicus brief with fellow NFL player Brendon Ayanbadejo, urging the Supreme Court to strike down California’s Proposition 8 ban on equal marriage.

Two months later, he announced that he had been dropped by the Minnesota Vikings, and this year alleged he was “pretty confident” that he had been sacked on account of his gay rights activism, bringing Priefer’s comments to light and threatening a lawsuit.

Priefer has apologised for the comments, and denied claims that he was homophobic, saying that he has gay family members whom he loves.

Vikings Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer Suspended, Fined Following Kluwe Investigation

Mike Priefer, the current special teams coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, has been suspended from three games and made to donate $100,000 to organizations dedicated to the advancement of LGBT people. This follows the closing of an investigation into former kicker Chris Kluwe’s allegations that Priefer played a large role in fostering a homophobic environment for the team off the field.

"I owe an apology to many people – the Wilf family, the Minnesota Vikings organization and fans, my family, the LGBT community, Chris Kluwe and anyone else that I offended with my insensitive remark." Priefer said in a press conference. "I regret what has occurred and what I said. I am extremely sorry but I will learn from this situation and will work on educating others to create more tolerance and respect."

Kluwe, an outspoken supporter of LGBT rights, claims that the termination of his contract with the Vikings came as a result of his gay activism. Were the investigation into Prifer’s conduct to come up clean, Kluwe and his lawyer asserted, they would not hesitate to proceed with a formal lawsuit against the team.

"There were numerous occasions that [Priefer] said that I would burn in hell with the gays," Kluwe said in a conference last Friday. "I think [Priefer's suspension] is completely unacceptable. It doesn't change anything with my lawsuit. We're going to (sue) for the maximum."

Following the Vikings’ refusal to make public the investigation’s findings last week, Kluwe and his representation followed through, stating that their suit would be filed next week.

“Oh, and in case anyone thinks this is some sort of cash grab, we'll be going for max damages and all money I get will go to LBGTQ charities.” Kluwe asserted via Twitter. “This is not about the money for me. This is about doing what's right.”

Chris Kluwe to Sue Minnesota Vikings for Withholding Results of Investigation into Homophobia Claims

Back in January, the Minnesota Vikings announced it had hired attorneys to lead an investigation into claims by former punter Chris Kluwe, who said in an article published on Deadspin that he was released from the team because of his gay activism.

Kluwe also claimed that special teams coordinator Mike Priefer unleashed a homophobic rant in his presence, saying, "We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows."

At the time, Kluwe said that he would sue the Vikings if the investigation turned up clean. But today Kluwe and his attorneys announced they would be suing the team for refusing to release the results of the recently-completed investigation, Pioneer Press reports:

"After the Vikings were given the investigative materials from Magnuson and Madel, in order to further maintain objectivity and integrity, the team engaged a nationally-prominent law firm -- Littler Mendelson P.C. -- to evaluate employment law matters and provide findings and recommendations to the Vikings," according to the team's Tuesday statement. "Those recommendations are to be provided to the team this week." 

Kluwe and Halunen held a press conference Tuesday morning to announce the lawsuit and denounce the team for reneging on what they said was a promise to make the investigation public. 

Halunen said he was contacted by Vikings' representatives on Monday and was told they do not intend to make the report available either to Kluwe or to the public. 

"At this point we have no choice but to file a lawsuit against the Vikings," Halunen said.

Kluwe told reporters that if the investigation results are released he will reconsider the lawsuit.

Chris Kluwe: Vikings Fired Me For My Pro-LGBT Activism

Former NFL punter and outspoken LGBT rights supporter Chris Kluwe has broken his silence about the Minnesota Vikings' decision to cut him from the team last year. And he's broken it in a big way: in a post on the website Deadspin titled "I Was An NFL Player Until I Was Fired By Two Cowards And A Bigot."
The post consists of notes Kluwe wrote in April 2013 when he realized the Vikings were preparing to release him. It contains many damning allegations, particularly against Minnesota Vikings special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer (the bigot Kluwe refers to in the title).
He writes:

Hello. My name is Chris Kluwe, and for eight years I was the punter for the Minnesota Vikings. In May 2013, the Vikings released me from the team. At the time, quite a few people asked me if I thought it was because of my recent activism for same-sex marriage rights, and I was very careful in how I answered the question. My answer, verbatim, was always, "I honestly don't know, because I'm not in those meetings with the coaches and administrative people."
This is a true answer. I honestly don't know if my activism was the reason I got fired.
However, I'm pretty confident it was.

Kluwe claims that in the run-up to the November 2012 vote on Minnesota's proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, Priefer repeatedly singled him out and harassed him for his work with Minnesotans for Marriage Equality:

Throughout the months of September, October, and November, Minnesota Vikings special-teams coordinator Mike Priefer would use homophobic language in my presence. He had not done so during minicamps or fall camp that year, nor had he done so during the 2011 season. He would ask me if I had written any letters defending "the gays" recently and denounce as disgusting the idea that two men would kiss, and he would constantly belittle or demean any idea of acceptance or tolerance. I tried to laugh these off while also responding with the notion that perhaps they were human beings who deserved to be treated as human beings.
"Mike Priefer also said on multiple occasions that I would wind up burning in hell with the gays, and that the only truth was Jesus Christ and the Bible. He said all this in a semi-joking tone, 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. I felt uncomfortable each time Mike Priefer said these things. After all, he was directly responsible for reviewing my job performance, but I hoped that after the vote concluded in Minnesota his behavior would taper off and eventually stop."

But Priefer's behavior didn't stop, it got worse.

Kluwe continues:

Near the end of November, several teammates and I were walking into a specialist meeting with Coach Priefer. We were laughing over one of the recent articles I had written supporting same-sex marriage rights, and one of my teammates made a joking remark about me leading the Pride parade. As we sat down in our chairs, Mike Priefer, in one of the meanest voices I can ever recall hearing, said: "We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows."

The situation deteriorated even further from there; head on over to Deadspin to read Kluwe's account in full.
If his claims are true, the Vikings threw him under the bus in a big way.
Writes Kluwe:

"It's my belief, based on everything that happened over the course of 2012, that I was fired by Mike Priefer, a bigot who didn't agree with the cause I was working for, and two cowards, [former Vikings head coach] Leslie Frazier and [general manager] Rick Spielman, both of whom knew I was a good punter and would remain a good punter for the foreseeable future, as my numbers over my eight-year career had shown, but who lacked the fortitude to disagree with Mike Priefer on a touchy subject matter. (Frazier was fired on Monday, at the conclusion of a 5-10-1 season.)...
"If there's one thing I hope to achieve from sharing this story, it's to make sure that Mike Priefer never holds a coaching position again in the NFL, and ideally never coaches at any level. (According to the Pioneer Press, he is 'the only in-house candidate with a chance' at the head-coaching job.) It's inexcusable that someone would use his status as a teacher and a role model to proselytize on behalf of his own doctrine of intolerance, and I hope he never gets another opportunity to pass his example along to anyone else. I also hope that Leslie Frazier and Rick Spielman take a good look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are the people they truly profess themselves to be."

Kluwe concludes with an acknowledgement that by breaking his silence, he has all but ensured that his NFL career is over. But he doesn't seem to have any regrets about telling his story. "Never be afraid to do what's right," he said. "If no one ever says anything, nothing ever changes."
UPDATE: The Minnesota Vikings responded this afternoon in a statement:

The Minnesota Vikings were made aware of Chris Kluwe's allegations for the first time today. We take them very seriously and will thoroughly review this matter.
As an organization, the Vikings consistently strive to create a supportive, respectful and accepting environment for all of our players, coaches and front office personnel. We do not tolerate discrimination at any level. The team has long respected our players' and associates' individual rights, and, as Chris specifically stated, Vikings ownership supports and promotes tolerance, including on the subject of marriage equality. Because he was identified with the Vikings, Chris was asked to be respectful while expressing his opinions. Team ownership and management also repeatedly emphasized to Chris that the Vikings would not impinge on his right to express his views.
Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy. Chris was released strictly based on his football performance.
We will have further comment at the appropriate time.

Raider Sign LGBT Ally Chris Kluwe

NFL punter and LGBT ally Chris Kluwe has been signed by the Oakland Raiders, FOX Sports reports:

Kluwe, who was released by the Minnesota Vikings on May 6, will step in for Pro Bowler Shane Lechler, who left Oakland for the Houston Texans via free agency. Kluwe’s contract is for one year, and is for the league minimum.

...

Kluwe is known for his mind and mouth, as well as his leg. He is a vocal advocate of equality in sports (and life), and says he will continue to speak for what he believes.

“I’m still going to be myself socially and continue to tweet and interact with my fans,” Kluwe said.

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/#ixzz2TSmZNPC4