Eschewing any personal gain, Chris Kluwe, the former Minnesota Vikings punter and outspoken and unlikely gay rights activist, has settled an ongoing battle against the sports franchise, announced the National Journal. Kluwe, who sued for wrongful termination, announced the settlement yesterday at a press conference. The settlement, which will avert a full-blown lawsuit, will require the Vikings to donate an undisclosed sum of money to five LGBT charities of Kluwe’s choosing over the next five years. “This will help a lot of people that really do need that help,” he explained.
Two of the charities have already been announced. According to Kluwe’s lawyer Clayton Halunen,” [T]wo of the five non-profits [are] the Matthew Shepard Foundation and You Can Play, a charity run by retired NFL player Wade Davis, who is gay. Both focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. Halunen did not disclose the names of the other charities, saying they hadn’t been notified yet.
Kluwe originally filed his grievance based on his belief that the team dismissed him for his vocal and highly visible role as a supporter of same-sex marriage. But at his news conference, Kluwe went to great lengths to tamp down criticism that the settlement was merely window dressing. “They want to make this a reality where there is no discrimination in sports, there is no homophobia.” He said he was convinced the Vikings and owners Zygi and Mark Wilf were committed to the cause, and committed to being leaders on this issue in the NFL.
For their part, co-owner Zygi Wilf added, “In regards to this matter, our focus remains on maintaining a culture of tolerance, inclusion and respect, and creating the best workplace environment for our players, coaches and staff.”
The National Post also reported that, “In addition to his wrongful termination claim, Kluwe alleged that special teams co-ordinator Mike Priefer made anti-gay comments and tried to agitate him with homophobic language. Last month, the team issued a 29-page summary of a report that found no merit to Kluwe’s claim that he was wrongfully dismissed, but it confirmed that Priefer made anti-gay remarks during practice. The Vikings suspended Priefer for three games and ordered him to undergo sensitivity training. Kluwe threatened to sue the team if it didn’t release the full 150-page report, but Halunen said Tuesday that the Vikings had done a thorough investigation into Kluwe’s allegations. Halunen said he and Kluwe had initially pushed for the report’s release out of concern that there may have been a systemic problem within the organization, but they viewed the full report as part of mediation and are satisfied there are no widespread issues.”
Critics argue that Kluwe was at the end of a long but noble career and simply didn’t have what it took to justify keeping him on the team as a punter.
Kluwe has not been picked up by any other team since becoming a free agent and says his future plans also include public speaking.
