EX-NFLer Fired As School Football Coach For Protesting MAGA Plaque

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A former NFL punter who made headlines this month for his protest against a plaque at the Huntington Beach Central Library with a MAGA reference has been fired from his coaching job at Edison High School.

Chris Kluwe, former punter for the Minnesota Vikings, coached freshman football for five years at Edison — which is part of the Huntington Beach Union High School District.

Kluwe was arrested in a show of civil disobedience at the Feb. 18 Huntington Beach City Council meeting out of what he called frustration with how Democratic leaders have responded to President Donald Trump's second term. As part of the city library's 50th anniversary, the council approved the hanging of a plaque with the words "Magical Alluring Galvanizing Adventurous," or MAGA. The plaque also includes the phrase, "Through hope and change, our nation has built back better to the golden age of Making America Great Again."

"Hope and change" was then-Sen. Barack Obama's campaign slogan during his victorious 2008 presidential campaign while Joe Biden used the phrase "Build back better" during his winning 2020 campaign.

Kluwe said he objected to the phrase on the plaque because, "a library is neutral ground."

According to reports, Kluwe was called into a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 27 with Edison's athletic director and the assistant principal of supervision.

"They said...based on what's going on we just feel it's too much attention and we have to let you go," he told The Orange County Register.

Kluwe said he was offered the chance to resign but refused "because I wanted people to see what MAGA actually means for a community and that this will not make our community better, it's taking away a resource from the kids."

Kluwe was arrested at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 19 after criticizing the design of a plaque set to be installed at the City's library.

The former punter voiced his opposition to the controversial plaque design meant to celebrate the Central Library's 50th anniversary.

Since its unanimous approval by the City Council, the plaque's message made headlines for the inclusion of the acronym MAGA, referencing President Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again."

At the meeting, Kluwe said MAGA promoted "profoundly corrupt unmistakably anti-democracy" beliefs. Kluwe then addressed the council members saying he would "engage in the time-honored American tradition of peaceful civil disobedience,” and approached them with his hands behind his back.

Police promptly arrested Kluwe and led him out of the city council chambers. It is unclear what charges he faced.

Kluwe has a history of liberal political activism and has been outspoken about social issues since 2013, when he was released from his position on the Vikings after voicing his support for gay marriage.

"I honestly don't know if my activism is the reason I got fired," Kluwe wrote in a 2014 article published to Deadspin. "However, I'm pretty confident it was."

He has been a supporter of LGBTQ+ rights and has criticized past actions of President Trump.

City News Service contributed to this report.