Three starting offensive linemen for the Miami Dolphins “engaged in a pattern of harassment” toward their teammate Jonathan Martin, another young offensive lineman and an assistant trainer that included racist and homophobic language and improper touching, according to an extensive investigation commissioned by the N.F.L.
The investigation concluded that harassment by the three players — Richie Incognito, John Jerry and Mike Pouncey — caused significant emotional distress to Martin, who abruptly left the team in October amid reports that he had been bullied by Incognito. What is now clear is that the episode extended far beyond Incognito and Martin. Incognito was labeled “the main instigator” in the harassment, while Jerry and Pouncey “tended to follow Incognito’s lead.” Incognito was said to have dictated the locker-room culture.
| 