Lawyer: Chris Kluwe, Vikings reach settlement, avoid lawsuit http://t.co/2wLBmYrqwT (@TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/pOCvY7BTsL
— Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) August 15, 2014
The attorney for former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe said Friday that an out-of-court settlement had been reached with the team.
The Pioneer Press reports Clayton Halunen informed the newspaper of the settlement in a text message.
In an essay Kluwe wrote for Deadspin.com in January, he accused the Vikings of releasing him in 2013 because of his views supporting same-sex marriage. He also accused special teams coordinator Mike Priefer of making homophobic remarks during the 2012 season.
The Vikings have maintained that Kluwe was released for football reasons only.
According to USA Today, Halunen would not give specifics of the settlement saying the agreement hadn’t been finalized.
“The parties intend to hold a joint press conference early next week to make public the terms of the settlement arrived at late last night.”
The Vikings wouldn’t go that far though.
Vikings lawyer Kevin Warren on Chris Kluwe settlement talks: "Conversations are ongoing and nothing has been finalized.''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 15, 2014
Last month the Vikings suspended Priefer for the first three games of the regular season for what the team said was one inappropriate comment. The team also outlined a 29-page summary of an investigative report that found Kluwe had been released for football-only reasons.
Kluwe threatened to sue for $10 million and demanded the Vikings release the full report. He backed off that stance last month to allow more time for the parties to reach a settlement.
The Vikings put together a high-profile team of lawyers for the talks. That team included Ted Wells, who authored the report on the Miami Dolphins bullying case, Roberta Kaplan and Joe Anthony.
According to the Viking Age, the deal is great news for both sides. The blog says it avoids a drawn out legal process, keeps a cleaner public image for both Kluwe and the Vikings, and allows the Vikings to completely focus on the upcoming season.
