Related chairman Stephen Ross took a break from his various real estate ventures to address the bullying scandal that has engulfed the football team he owns over the last two weeks.
Ross spoke for the first time Monday about allegations that Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Richie Incognito maliciously bullied teammate Jonathan Martin, who left the team after a lunchroom incident last month, the New York Observer reported. Incognito is currently suspended from the team and is not expected to return.
The Dolphins owner released a statement vowing to get “to the bottom of this issue” and take whatever action is necessary to ensure the locker room bullying does not happen again. Ross also appeared in a televised interview with ESPN’s Mike Tirico, describing text messages with racial slurs sent from Incognito to Martin as “appalling.”
National media outlets have aggressively reported the Dolphins bullying scandal, which has sparked debate on workplace harassment.
Ross purchased a 50 percent stake in the Dolphins from Wayne Huizenga in 2008. The following year, Ross picked up another 45 percent of the team. The total purchase was valued at more than $1 billion. [New York Observer] — Eric Kalis