“They have promoted a workplace environment that was conducive for success. At no time did I ever feel suppressed or that I could not be myself.”
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One of Chris Kluwe's former teammates has come out in support of the Minnesota Vikings' front office and coaching staff after Kluwe accused them of releasing him because of his advocacy for LGBT issues.
"Contrary to Chris' statements, they have promoted a workplace environment that was conducive for success," Vikings placekicker Blair Walsh said in a written statement. "At no time did I ever feel suppressed or that I could not be myself."
In a post on Deadspin yesterday, Kluwe laid out a chain of events that he claims led to his eventual release, starting in the summer of 2012 when he was approached for assistance by a Minnesota-based group called Minnesotans for Marriage Equality. He said a day after Deadspin published a letter he'd written to Maryland delegate Emmett C. Burns Jr. "chastising him for trampling the free-speech rights of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo," then-Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier called him in for a meeting to discourage him from speaking out about his support for same-sex marriage rights.
Kluwe also said Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Priefer started using homophobic language in his presence and singled him out for verbal abuse despite little change in his on-field performance. Kluwe alleges Priefer, in a meeting with players, said, "We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows."
Walsh, who was a teammate with Kluwe for only one season — 2012, defended Priefer but didn't explicitly refute Kluwe's specific claims.
"I have had countless conversations and interactions with Coach Priefer, and I personally can attest to his integrity and character," Walsh said. "His professionalism in the workplace is exemplary, and I firmly believe that my teammates would whole-heartedly agree. The allegations made today are reprehensible and totally not compatible with what Mike Priefer stands for."
The Vikings declined to make long snapper Cullen Loeffler, who once teamed with Kluwe and former kicker Ryan Longwell to make one of the longest-serving special teams trios in the league, available for comment.
Longwell, who was the Vikings' kicker until 2011, also wasn't immediately available for comment. But a couple of days ago on Twitter, Longwell spoke up on behalf of Frazier, who was fired last week as the Vikings' head coach after little more than three seasons.