The Vikings had decided to retain special teams coach Mike Priefer despite an ongoing investigation into allegations of anti-LGBT statements.

In early January, former Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe alleged that Priefer said, “We should round up all the gays, send them to an island, and then nuke it until it glows,” and that Priefer told Kluwe to stop his outspoken — and at times controversial — advocacy of marriage equality.

The Vikings said they were conducting a full investigation, yet on Feb. 6, the team announced it had retained Priefer as part of its 2014-2015 season.

Late last week, Kluwe’s attorney Clayton Halunen called the investigation by the Vikings a “charade,” and suggested the Kluwe might file some sort of legal action, according to the Pioneer Press.

“My one word description is ‘outrageous,'” Halunen said. “It’s almost unimaginable that there’s a pending investigation regarding whether or not this guy engaged in homophobic, hate-filled behavior and without even a conclusion in the findings they’ve retained this person as a coach, as a leader.”

“It’s unbelievable to us,” Halunen said of the decision to keep Priefer on the coaching staff. “It shows that the Vikings are not sincere about this supposed investigation, that it’s a mere charade, and at the end of the day they’re going to cover up this.
“It’s just a matter of when we begin litigation. That’s the only question in my mind now. Do we immediately file suit or do we wait and see if we get the confirmation we get from their supposed investigation?”

“We have a number of claims,” Halunen said. “We have claims under the Minnesota human rights act regarding religious discrimination because Priefer made a number of comments on my client’s lack of beliefs in God and Jesus in respect to his support of the marriage amendment and gays and lesbians.”

“We have a sexual-orientation claim that my client stood up for the rights for a group that is a protected class and was retaliated against,” Halunen said. “We have a retaliation claim because he raised concerns to management by going to Les, and soon after his contract was (terminated).”