MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe intends to sue the team over allegations of anti-gay conduct by a coach, his lawyer said Tuesday.
Lawyer Clayton Halunen said they’ll seek a copy of the Vikings’ internal investigation and make it public if they can. They accused the Vikings of reneging on a pledge to release the report, which they believe corroborates Kluwe’s claims.
The Vikings hired two outside lawyers to examine Kluwe’s claims that special teams coordinator Mike Priefer used slurs and taunts to try to quash Kluwe’s outspoken support for gay marriage. Priefer denied the allegations. Kluwe was cut in May 2013 after eight seasons with the Vikings.
Kluwe said keeping the report private won’t help prevent workplace discrimination. The investigation was conducted by former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson and former U.S. Justice Department trial attorney Chris Madel.
“I think it’s just important that everyone is able to see what’s there,” he said. “Yeah, it’ll probably hurt. These things always do. But the only way we’re ever going to fix it is if we acknowledge that.”
The Vikings issued a statement denying they told Halunen during a meeting Monday that they won’t release the report. The team said both sides will meet again Thursday to discuss “issues relating to the investigation.”
Halunen said they’d still like to resolve the dispute out of court.
