Chris Kluwe ripped former Minnesota Viking coaches Leslie Frazier and special teams coach Mike Priefer to shreds in a Deadspin article today, calling Frazier a “coward” and alleging he was dismissed from his role as Vikings punter because of his staunch support of gay rights.
The Vikings released a statement in response to those claims in the late afternoon Thursday, saying, among other things, the assertion that Kluwe was released because of his stance on gay marriage is “inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy.”
Here is the entire statement regarding the situation, as tweeted by the Vikings:
“The Minnesota Vikings were made aware of Chris Kluwe’s allegations for the first time today. We take them very seriously and will thoroughly review this matter.
As an organization, the Vikings consistently strive to create a supportive, respectful and accepting environment for all of our players, coaches and front office personnel. We do not tolerate discrimination at any level. The team has long respected our players’ and associates’ individual rights, and, as Chris specifically stated, Vikings ownership supports and promotes tolerance, including on the subject of marriage equality. Because he was identified with the Vikings, Chris was asked to be respectful while expressing his opinions. Team ownership and management also repeatedly emphasized to Chris that the Vikings would not impinge on his right to express his views.
Any notion that Chris was released from our football team due to his stance on marriage equality is entirely inaccurate and inconsistent with team policy. Chris was released strictly based on his football performance.
We will have further comment at the appropriate time.”
