Chris Kluwe and Minnesota Vikings Reach Settlement
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The Minnesota Vikings and Clayton Halunen, attorney for former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe, today released the details of a settlement reached between the two parties.
Kluwe had filed suit against the Vikings after they failed to make public a complete report of the internal investigation into his claims that his LGBT advocacy factored into his release from the team after the 2012 season.
The terms of the settlement include charitable donations from the Vikings to five LGBT groups, a zero tolerance team policy concerning any discrimination based on sexual orientation, and efforts by the Vikings to build awareness of LGBT issues in professional sports.
When the Vikings released a summary of the report in July, they confirmed Kluwe’s claim that coach Mike Priefer had made derogatory comments about gays and lesbians. Priefer was suspended by the Vikings for three games.
Kluwe had additional legal representation throughout the investigation from the National Center for Lesbian Rights, a non-profit legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of LGBT Americans.
Athlete Ally salutes Chris Kluwe for his continued activism on behalf of the LGBT community in sports and beyond.