Chris Kluwe's Lawyer Threatens To Sue Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Former Vikings Chris Kluwe said he is planning to file a discrimination lawsuit against the Minnesota Vikings.
Kluwe said the Minnesota Vikings have backed down on their promise to release the results of an investigation into homophobia among the team's coaching staff.
At a Tuesday news conference, Kluwe's attorney Clayton Halunen said they'll seek a copy of the Vikings' internal investigation and make it public if they can. They accuse the Vikings of reneging on a pledge to release the report.
Last year, after Kluwe was released by the Vikings, he wrote an article on Deadspin accusing Vikings Special Teams Coach Mike Priefer of making homophobic remarks.
The Vikings said in a statement their internal report is complete.
The team has turned it over to an outside law firm that will come up with recommendations of what the team should do by the end of the week.
At a news conference Kluwe recounted some of the statements he said Vikings Special teams Coach Mike Priefer made.
Kluwe claimed Priefer told him, "You will burn in hell with the gays."
Kluwe says Priefer's behavior towards him changed as he became more outspoken in opposing the Marriage Amendment in 2012.
"It all occurred after my advocacy became public. It was a complete shift in pattern of behavior," Kluwe said.
Kluwe, who was cut by the team last year, and his attorney said the Vikings told them yesterday they won't release the report by three attorneys including Former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Erick Magnuson.
"They have indicated they do not have an intent to release the report to us, or to the public," Halunen said.
But in a statement the attorneys said they never told Kluwe's attorney he could not get the report.
The back and forth over the report got the attention of Minnesota Senator Scott Dibble, who wrote the Vikings demanding the report be made public.
Kluwe and his attorney said the lawsuit will likely claim religious discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination and defamation. Kluwe's attorneys said they were on the verge of reaching a settlement that would have included the Vikings donating a million dollars to GLBT causes.
"People in the beginning of this have suggested that Chris was in it for the money. He's never been in it for the money, he is not going to take any money from it and the money is going to go to charity," Halunen said.
Priefer has previously denied the allegations made by Kluwe.
Priefer is one of the few assistant coaches the new Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer kept when he took over the team earlier this year.
Despite all this, the Vikings, Kluwe and his attorney are still scheduled to meet on Thursday.
