Three starters on the Miami Dolphins' offensive line -- Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey -- engaged in a "pattern of harassment" directed at Jonathan Martin, as well as another young offensive lineman and an assistant trainer, according to the independent report released Friday concerning workplace misconduct with the team.Â
The entire 144-page report, conducted by investigator Ted Wells, can be read here.
"The Report finds that the assistant trainer repeatedly was the object of racial slurs and other racially derogatory language; that the other offensive lineman was subjected to homophobic name-calling and improper physical touching; and that 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," Wells said in a statement.
The harassment of Martin was described as bearing "many hallmarks of a classic case of bullying, where persons who are in a position of power harass the less powerful," the report said.
Martin left the Dolphins in late October 2013. Shortly afterward, bullying allegations against Incognito arose due to a voice mail in which Incognito used a racial slur and threatened violence toward Martin.
Text messages that later became public showed the two players traded more than 1,000 text messages in a year's span, and the teasing and vulgar banter went both ways, with references to sex, drugs, violence and bawdy behavior, often in a jocular tone.
Incognito's lawyer, Mark Schamel, released a statement Friday that said the report was filled with errors and reiterated Incognito's stance that Martin never was bullied by a member of the Dolphins' offensive line.
"It is disappointing that Mr. Wells would have gotten it so wrong," Schamel said, "but not surprising."
But the statement from Wells said any suggestions that Martin manufactured his abuse claims were rejected, and text messages sent by Martin months before he left the team corroborated his account.
The report also found that Dolphins offensive line coach Jim Turner was aware of a running joke regarding the sexuality of the anonymous offensive lineman and, on at least one occasion, participated in taunting. But head coach Joe Philbin was unaware of the mistreatment directed at Martin, the other offensive lineman and the trainer, the report said. Turner still is employed by the team.
"The Report concludes that the harassment by Martin's teammates was a contributing factor in his decision to leave the team," the statement said, "but also finds that Martin's teammates did not intend to drive Martin from the team or cause him lasting emotional injury."
The Dolphins placed Martin on the non-football illness list in late November. Incognito was suspended Nov. 3 and missed the rest of the 2013 season. His suspension was lifted following the Super Bowl.
Dolphins officials said that was an administrative move that had been agreed to by all parties last year, and it had nothing to do with the investigation.
NFL officials released a statement Friday, saying the league office had the report and sent it to all the clubs. The statement added there would be no further comment until "after we have the opportunity to review the full report."
The NFL Players Association also released a statement, saying they would be "reviewing the findings closely, confer with our players and all relevant parties involved."
Changes could be coming to the league in the wake of the report.
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport, citing a league source, said on Friday's edition of NFL Network's "NFL Total Access" that in the wake of Wells' report, the NFL would take a "very hard look at the locker room culture ... and try to come up with some new workplace rules, some non-gray area for players to know what is OK and what is not OK."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
