|
 Turner served as Miami's offensive line coach for the past two
seasons, while O'Neill was in his position for the past 18 years.
The firings come in the wake of the report that detailed the actions
of guard Richie Incognito and others that led to tackle Jonathan
Martin walking away from the team last season.
"The language and behavior as described in the Ted Wells report are
against the core values of our organization," Dolphins owner Stephen
Ross said in a statement. "After receiving the report, I conducted
my own internal review of the facts to determine the appropriate
steps for our organization.
"Jim Turner and Kevin O'Neill are good people who care a great deal
about their profession and the players whom they serve, but both
exhibited poor judgment at times which led me to this conclusion. As
owner, I know firsthand of the high-character and dedicated
professionals in our building. I believe in our team and know the
hard work and sacrifices they make every day on the field and in the
community.
"However, this is an opportunity and a teaching moment not only for
the coaches, staff and players in our locker room, but also for
participants throughout sports. I am in contact with Jonathan Martin
and we plan to meet soon. "Next week, I will provide further details of our partnership with
the NYU School of Law and the NYU Center for Sports and Society
regarding a broader effort to address conduct in sports. My
commitment to our fans, coaches, players and staff is that we will
be a stronger organization going forward."
The Wells report, released Friday by the NFL investigator, stated
that Jonathan Martin was subjected to "a pattern of harassment" that
included racial slurs and vicious sexual taunts about his mother and
sister by three teammates.
The 144-page report said Incognito, who was suspended by the team in
November, and fellow offensive linemen John Jerry and Mike Pouncey
harassed Martin, while another offensive lineman and an assistant
trainer also routinely came under attack.
Turner's name appeared several times in the Wells report. According
to the report, Turner tolerated and even participated in the
harassment of Miami players, lied to investigators and repeatedly
attempted to convince Martin to publicly defend Incognito.
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"Turner was aware of the running 'joke' that Player A was gay, and
on at least one occasion, he participated in the taunting," the
Wells report read. "Around Christmas 2012, Coach Turner gave the
offensive linemen gift bags that included a variety of stocking
stuffers. The gifts included inflatable female dolls for all of the
offensive linemen except Player A, who received a male 'blow-up'
doll. Martin and another player reported that they were surprised
Coach Turner did this; Martin further said that he was offended that
Turner had endorsed the humiliating treatment of Player A by
participating in it.
"Incognito and others agreed that this incident with Coach Turner
occurred. When interviewed, Turner was asked if he gave Player A a
male blow-up doll. He replied, 'I can't remember.'"
The investigation stated one of O'Neill's assistants, who was born
in Japan, was the target of racial slurs from Incognito, Pouncey and
Jerry. O'Neill failed to do anything and "allegedly even laughed at
some of the racial insults," according to the report.
"O'Neill, the head trainer, not only overheard the racist insults,
but also sometimes laughed along and never intervened. We did not
cover this specific topic in our interview with O'Neill, which was
cut short because O'Neill expressed hostility toward our
investigation," the report said.
O'Neill was originally hired by former coach Jimmy Johnson, who also
was his boss in Dallas. O'Neill was dismissed eight months after
being named the recipient of the prestigious Tim Kerin Award for
Excellence in Athletic Training. He is only the fifth NFL trainer to
claim the honor.
Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin also released a statement about the
firings.
"As the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, it is my responsibility to
create an atmosphere that allows each player the opportunity to
reach his full potential," Philbin said. "As Stephen Ross said, and
I agree, the language and behavior outlined in Ted Wells' report was
disappointing and unacceptable.
"Since I first arrived in Miami, it has been my goal to have a team
which honors our proud tradition and represents our fan base the
right way both on and off the field. It is not possible for a team
to accomplish its goals when the fundamental values of respect are
violated.
"That ultimately rests on my shoulders and I will be accountable
moving forward for making sure that we emphasize a team-first
culture of respect towards one another."
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