Former UCLA and Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe was fired from his coaching position at Edison High School just days after being arrested for protesting a MAGA plaque at a Huntington Beach City Council meeting.
According to The Orange County Register, Kluwe was summoned to a meeting with Edison High School’s athletic director and assistant principal of supervision on Thursday.
“And they said, ‘Based on what’s going on, we just feel it’s too much attention and we have to let you go,’”Kluwe recounted.
School officials reportedly offered him the chance to resign, but he declined, stating he wanted to make a public example of what MAGA policies meant for the community.
Edison High School has not yet issued a public statement on his dismissal. However, Kluwe’s name and headshot were quickly removed from the school’s online coaching directory.
Kluwe was arrested during a February 18th Huntington Beach City Council meeting, where he protested the approval of a MAGA-themed plaque set to be displayed in a city library.
The plaque, intended to commemorate the library’s 50th anniversary, featured the acronym “Magical Alluring Galvanizing Adventurous” alongside the phrase:
“Through hope and change, our nation has built back better to the golden age of Making America Great Again.”
Critics—including Kluwe—viewed the plaque as a political statement, as it included slogans associated with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump.
During his public comment, the UCLA alum harshly criticized the MAGA movement, comparing it to the Nazis, and then approached council members, fully expecting to be arrested for misdemeanor disturbing an assembly.
Kluwe defended his actions, arguing that libraries should remain politically neutral and claiming his firing illustrated the real impact of the MAGA movement on the community.
“This will not make our community better; it’s taking away a resource from the kids,” he said.
Kluwe, who has long been vocal on political and social issues, first gained national attention in 2012 for his advocacy of same-sex marriage. His recent dismissal raises questions about free speech, political expression, and public accountability in communities where ideological tensions run high.
