Vikings hire lawyers to probe Kluwe allegations
(Reuters) - The Minnesota Vikings said on Friday they have hired attorneys to help complete a review of allegations made by a former player who said he was released by the NFL team due to his support of same-sex marriage. Eric Magnuson, a former chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, and Chris Madel, a former U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney, will interview current and former members of the Vikings organization as part of the investigation. "It is extremely important for the Vikings organization to react immediately and comprehensively with an independent review of these allegations," Vikings owner Mark Wilf said in a statement. Former Minnesota punter Chris Kluwe alleged on Thursday in a scathing article he wrote for the website Deadspin that he was urged by former Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman to stop speaking out about his support for same-sex marriage. He also wrote that special teams coach Mike Priefer had made several anti-gay comments in his presence and that he intends to make sure Priefer never holds another coaching job in the NFL. Kluwe was released by the Vikings last May despite having established several punt records for the team. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, Editing by Gene Cherry)
