NFL special investigator Ted Wells released a 144-page report Friday outlining allegations of bullying in the Miami Dolphins locker room. The report concluded that Richie Incognito did indeed harass teammate Jonathan Martin which was made well aware to the public prior to the report being released. However what the public may not know is in addition to the Incognito and Martin, offensive linemen John Jerry and Mike Pouncey also engaged in a “pattern of harassment” while an unnamed player and athletic trainer like Martin were named as additional victims.
we conclude that three starters on the Dolphins offensive line, Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey, engaged in a pattern of harassment directed at not only Martin, but also another young Dolphins offensive lineman, whom we refer to as Player A for confidentiality reasons, and a member of the training staff, whom we refer to as the Assistant Trainer. We find that the Assistant Trainer repeatedly was targeted with racial slurs and other racially derogatory language. Player A frequently was subjected to homophobic name-calling and improper physical touching. Martin was taunted on a persistent basis with sexually explicit remarks about his sister and his mother and at times ridiculed with racial insults and other offensive comments.
Furthermore the report names Incognito as the main instigator while pretty much supporting Martin fully including dismissing any idea that he made up the allegations of harassment after he left the Dolphins. The report also concluded that Martin’s actions were “consistent with the behavior of a victim of abusive treatment.
In short, the treatment of Martin and others in the Miami Dolphins organization at times was offensive and unacceptable in any environment, including the world professional football players inhabit. A young football player who has the skills to play at the highest level, and who also happens to be quiet and reserved, should have the opportunity to pursue a career in the NFL without being subjected to harassment from his teammates.
Martin has expressed a desire to continue his NFL career, and we hope that he will have the opportunity to do so. His brief experience in the league was derailed by harassment from his teammates, and it would be unfortunate if he did not get the chance to resume playing in an environment that will permit him to reach his full potential as a professional athlete.
Other highlights of the report (which are incredibly damning to Incognito, head coach Joe Philbin and really the entire organization) include:
- Offensive line coach Jim Turner aware of the “inside joke” that the unnamed player was “gay” even participating in it at one point. During Christmas of 2012 Turner gave the offensive lineman a variety of stocking stuffers that contained a female blow up doll. The one unnamed player though received a male blow up doll.
- Continuing on the Christmas traditions of taunting and bullying in the locker room, on December 7th, 2013 (the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor), Incognito, Jerry and Pouncey donned headbands with the old Japanese rising sun emblem on it (which was given to them by the assistant trainer). Upon showing up with these headbands though on the 7th the three threatened to harm the assistant trainer.
- Incognito as well as the rest of the offensive line kept a “fine book”.
- Incognito, Jerry and Pouncey admitted to calling the assistant trainer a “Jap” and “Chinaman”. Martin further alleges that the three referred to the assistant trainer as a “dirty communist” and “North Korean” while also making demands such as “give me some water you fucking chink,”. This was all done too on occasion while using a phony stereotypical Asian accent.
- In person and within text messages Incognito referred to Martin as a “liberal mulatto bitch,” “stinky Pakistani,” “shine box” and “darkness.”
- Aside from contemplating suicide in May of 2013 (according to a tweet by Incognito), Martin contemplated suicide one other time.
- Martin apparently participated in the joking to better fit in.
You can view the full report below:
I don’t think this was quite the truth Incognito hinting at the other day in a series of tweets he posted.