College Football Player Reportedly Dismissed from Team for Kissing Boyfriend

Jamie Kuntz has been kicked off the North Dakota State College of Science football team after he was seen kissing his boyfriend while watching a game and subsequently denied doing so to his coach.

NBC Sports’ Rick Chandler reports that Kuntz was inactive for the team’s first game of the season but traveled with the team to Pueblo, Colo., for the season opener on Sept. 1. Chandler notes that Kuntz watched the game from the press box, where teammates saw him kiss his boyfriend. 

The article states that NDSCS coach Chuck Parsons questioned Kuntz about kissing another man during the game, and the 19-year-old lied and said it did not happen and that he was not gay. 

Chandler also notes that despite Kuntz emailing his coach and apologizing for lying, he was kicked off the team for not being honest with his coach.

In an interview with Dan Savage, via The Stranger, Kuntz said the following: 

"

He said he didn’t care what people did in their personal lives, but it was a big mistake to do that on a football trip. I said, yeah, I made a big mistake and I apologized again for lying. Then he handed me a letter and said he was kicking me off the team because what I did was ‘detrimental’ to the team and I was a ‘distraction.'

"

Savage reported that the letter Kuntz received that notified him of his dismissal from the team said the following:

"

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].

"

Kuntz has subsequently left NDSCS, as Savage notes that his primary motivation for attending the school was to play football.