Kluwe And Vikes Settle Lawsuit

((HT: KARE-TV))

Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has settled his discrimination lawsuit against his former employer over his release.

Kluwe maintained that his opinions and his support for gay marriage along with the alleged behavior of special teams coordinator Mike Priefer toward Kluwe that included the use of gay slurs during practice got him released.

The Vikings are now donating to LGBTQ charities, enacting a zero tolerance policy within the franchise, and enlisting in sensitivity training as part of the settlement.

Here's the wrap on the lawsuit
"Our focus remains on maintaining a culture of tolerance, inclusion and respect, and creating the best workplace environment for our players, coaches and staff," Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf said in a statement released during Kluwe's news conference. "As a family we have long-supported equal rights causes, including marriage equality," said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf in a statement. "We are glad a resolution of this matter has been reached, and we look forward to continuing our efforts to create positive awareness of these issues."

Kluwe, Vikings Reach Reported Discrimination Settlement

((HT: KARE-TV))

The attorney for former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe says that he, his client, and the team have reached a settlement over alleged discrimination while Kluwe was on the active roster. Kluwe accused the Vikings, initially, of cutting him because of his views and his vocal demeanor over them.

Kluwe said he was suing the team over their lack of handling the alleged discriminatory behavior by special teams coach Mike Priefer. Priefer allegedly used anti-gay slurs in his coaching demeanor. The Vikings suspended Priefer for three games and made a donation to local gay advocacy groups as an initial response to Kluwe and attorney Clayton Halunen's public claims.

Halunen says that the settlement will be discussed early next week.

Lawmakers in the state of Minnesota wanted a harsher penalty for Priefer's alleged actions and it will be interesting to see if anything happens above and beyond what is currently on the table.

Vikes Priefer Suspended, Kluwe Still Looks To Sue

((HT: KSTP-TV))

Let's just say it got real in the Twin Cities with the Chris Kluwe-Mike Priefer allegations and investigations.

The Minnesota Vikings held their own investigation and have now suspended special teams coach Mike Priefer for three games- two if he successfully completes sensitivity training. Priefer, apparently, has been found out for lying about his involvement in the case from the beginning. He initially denied saying what he did to Vikings players, but has now come out admitting he said disparaging comments toward gays.

But the Vikings only say that Priefer said that kind of comment on one occasion.

Here's a quick look at the Vikes investigation


Kluwe is still planning to sue the Vikings on four separate charges next week- religious and sexual orientation discrimination, defamation and intentional interference with contractual negotiations.

He took to Twitter to drop a series of pipe bombs last night when the Vikes released their report. The comments included (and are mandatory reading, by the way):

Oooh, shall we talk about the time two very well known Vikings players were caught in a compromising situation with an underage girl?

Don't worry folks, you'll know when I'm on tilt. The Vikings clearly think turning this dirty will scare me off. Says all you need to know.

Also interesting how so many are willing to follow the Vikings' false lead with the leak about me, and not the admission of Priefer's guilt.

Interesting stat of the night. In a 29 page report, 3 pages deal with the actual subject.

Here's the paperwork from the Vikings
((HT: Deadspin))

Kluwe Investigation

Kluwe Suing Vikes Over Info Not Shared In Priefer Investigation

((HT: MyFoxTwinCities))

Former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe thinks he has "no recourse" but to sue his old employer since he and his attorney, Clayton Halunen, are saying the team never shared the information of their own investigation around slurs allegedly said by special teams coach Mike Priefer.

Here's part of the presser involving Halunen and Kluwe discussing their lack of options...


A lawsuit hasn't been filed yet, but Halunen and Kluwe are debating either state or federal court. Halunen says Kluwe has grounds to sue the team for "religious and sexual orientation discrimination, defamation and intentional interference with contractual negotiations."

In return, the Vikings released the following statement on the matter:

Since Chris Kluwe’s allegations first appeared in Deadspin on January 2, 2014, the Minnesota Vikings have taken them very seriously, which is why the team immediately retained former Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court Eric Magnuson and former U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Chris Madel, two partners of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi, L.L.P. (RKMC), to perform an independent review of these allegations. Magnuson and Madel were asked to thoroughly and comprehensively investigate three particular allegations by Kluwe and Kluwe’s counsel:

1) Special Teams Coordinator Mike Priefer made offensive and insensitive remarks in Kluwe’s presence.
2) Representatives of the Vikings had knowledge of these comments prior to the Deadspin article publication on January 2, 2014.
3) Kluwe’s activism was the reason for his release from the Vikings on May 6, 2013.

Magnuson, Madel and others spent nearly six months conducting an exhaustive investigation. 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. Those recommendations are to be provided to the team this week.
As Magnuson and Madel confirmed today, the Vikings have never made or broken promises as Kluwe and his attorney Clayton Halunen have claimed. The Vikings have also never engaged in the various comments that Kluwe and Halunen have provided to the media over the past six months. This Thursday, July 17, the team has a meeting scheduled between Halunen and Vikings attorneys to discuss next steps.

As we have consistently communicated throughout this process, the Vikings will have further comment when the investigation is entirely complete and the team has made determinations on next steps.

Chris Kluwe Blasts Old Bosses In Minnesota

((HT: MyFoxTwinCities))

Including calling his old boss, Leslie Frazier, a "coward" and his special teams coach a "bigot."

As you all know, now-former NFL punter Chris Kluwe has never been afraid to speak his mind and tell people what he thinks in his highly-thought out opinions especially on topics like gays in the NFL and same-sex marriage...

Example below...
((HT: CNN))


He believes he was waived by the Vikings because of his beliefs (completely believable) and now has written a scorched-earth column in Deadpsin where he cites incidents:

One paragraph...

"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, Leslie Frazier and 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."

One of his goals is to make sure that Priefer, if what Kluwe relates is accurate, never coaches anywhere ever again...

Kluwe did say, however, that owner Zygi Wilf supported his thoughts even as Frazier apparently told him not to talk about politics in public...

But the HQ is all for beautifully, unique sparkleponies and it will be interesting to see where Kluwe and those he mentions come out in all this- even as it looks less and less like Kluwe will be employed as a punter in the NFL because of his beliefs...

Which is a shame...