The bombshell investigation that attorney Ted Wells and company published on Friday not only concluded that Jonathan Martin was a victim of workplace harassment, but also that Richie Incognito, Mike Pouncey and John Jerry acted similarly toward others within the organization. One of those people was an unnamed assistant trainer.
Shortly after Martin left the Dolphins during the 2013 season, reports surfaced indicating Incognito and at least one other player had also harassed a team staff member about his ethnic background and made inappropriate comments about his wife. Now this from the Wells report:
On December 7, 2012, the anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Incognito, Jerry and Pouncey donned traditional Japanese headbands that featured a rising sun emblem (which the Assistant Trainer had given them) and jokingly threatened to harm the Assistant Trainer physically in retaliation for the Pearl Harbor attack. According to Martin, the Assistant Trainer confided in him that he was upset about the Pearl Harbor comments, finding them derogatory toward his heritage.
Wells and company also found that Incognito, Pouncey and Jerry frequently used racial slurs like “Jap” and “dirty communist” — among other vulgar expressions — when speaking to the trainer. The trainer, who implied he was concerned about losing the trust of the players, said he could not recall the racially-charged incidents or if the linemen made any remarks about his girlfriend. The denials were not believed, as it was noted that the trainer later sent the following text to Martin.
“Hey JM I understand how [y]ou feel man … They are relentless sometime … Some day I wanna do exactly what you did today.”
The message was sent hours after Martin chose to leave the team on Oct. 28.
Again, we have no idea why Incognito tweeted earlier this week that the truth is going to “bury” Martin. Most people are going to take the Wells report as truth, and that does not bode well for Incognito’s career.
