A U.S. college football player says he was kicked off the team for being gay after his coach confronted him about a kiss he exchanged with his boyfriend during a Labour Day weekend game.
Prior to his dismissal from the North Dakota State College of Science football team, Jamie Kuntz, 18, had travelled with the club to Pueblo, Colo. for its game against Snow College, according to an article on Outsports.com.
Kuntz had still been recovering from a concussion, and was asked to film the game while sitting out.
Kuntz’ 65-year-old boyfriend, who lives in Denver, met him in the press box and sat with Kuntz as he filmed the game. They were reportedly caught exchanging a kiss mid-game by teammates on the field.
Just before the 15-hour bus ride back to North Dakota after the game, team coach Chuck Parsons confronted him about what took place, and with whom, in the press box. Kuntz denied both being gay and kissing the man, who claimed to be his grandfather.
Kuntz later sent a text message to Parsons admitting his homosexuality and that he had in fact kissed the man, and apologized for lying.
Kuntz said he apologized again during a private meeting the following morning, but was handed a letter by the coach saying he had been kicked off the team for his conduct.
“The head coach reserves the right to dismiss any team member for any conduct that is deemed detrimental to the team. This includes, but is not limited to, any criminal charges or convictions; violations of school policies, NDSCS athletic policies, or NDSCS Wildcat Football policies… Lying to Coaches, Teachers, or other school staff [constitute a violation],” letter read.
“This decision was arrived at solely on the basis of your conduct during the football game… and because you choose not to be truthful with when I confronted you about whom else was in the box with you.”
NDSCS has denied claims that Kuntz, who has since withdrawn from the school, was dismissed from the team because of his homosexuality.
“Instead of filming the game, Kuntz invited a companion into the location where he was supposed to be working and engaged in behavior that was a distraction to the team,” said NDSCS president John Richman in a press release.
“When asked about the incident by his coach, Kuntz did not tell the truth about the identity of his companion and what happened, as he has since acknowledged. Based on this conduct, the football coach dismissed Kuntz from the team,” Richman said.
“Despite how this is being portrayed by some, Jamie’s sexual orientation had nothing to do with his dismissal from the football team. NDSCS is a welcoming campus where individual differences are valued and respected.”
Kuntz, however, said he is less convinced.
“They found out I was gay. Sums up the whole thing,” he tweeted Sept. 3 in response to a question regarding why he had been dismissed.
“I filmed the game the best I could. My question: If [the team] were on the field, why were they looking into the press box?” he tweeted Sept. 12.
“The only time I was asked what happened was when coach pulled me off the bus. And again, coach said, ‘details don’t matter…’ They know they are in the wrong and are trying to grasp at anything. What the players and parents say is simply, ‘hearsay.’”
According to the Carleton University’s sexual orientation equality policy, the university “respects the dignity of all individuals and strives to enhance their ability to fully participate in education and employment at the University regardless of their sexual orientation.”
“Discrimination or harassment on the basis of sexual orientation is not condoned anywhere at Carleton,” Carleton’s manager of public affairs Beth Gorham said via email.
