An NFL report released Friday concluded that Miami Dolphins player Richie Incognito and fellow players John Jerry and Mike Pouncey “engaged in a pattern of harassment” toward their former teammate Jonathan Martin, an unnamed player, and a member of the team’s training staff.
The scathing 144-page report, authored by NFL independent investigator Ted Wells, found 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.”
The controversy began last November when a racially charged voicemail Incognito left on Martin’s phone was leaked to the press. Text messages from Incognito also revealed cruel language directed toward Martin and members of his family.
The NFL report said Incognito and other players told Martin he had to pay a $10,000 fine for skipping their team’s leisure trip to Las Vegas. Martin paid the fine with a check, accoridng to the report.
Martin claims to have never reported the abuse to anyone within the Miami Dolphins organization. However, the report stated: “many of the questions raised by Jonathan Martin’s departure from the Dolphins are nuanced and complex, but the underlying facts are not subject to great dispute.”
Just two days before the report was released Incognito directed a series of fiery messages toward Martin.
Dear Jon Martin….. The truth is going to bury you and your entire "camp". You could have told the truth the entire time. I apologize to all of the women out there that I offended with my text messages to my close personal friend. FACT: Jonathan Martin told me he thought about taking his own life in MAY 2013 b/c he wasn't playing well. Told me he felt worthless. Incognito also accused Martin of instigating the investigation: “Jon Martin —you started all of this when Kenny Zuckerman released the VM to ESPN. The same VM we joked about with [Brian Hartline].”
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