NY Jets: Woody Johnson accused of making racist, sexist comments

NY Jets’ owner Woody Johnson is being accused of making racist and sexist comments.

NY Jets‘ owner Woody Johnson is currently under investigation for alleged sexist and racist remarks he made while serving as the Ambassador to the United Kingdom under President Donald Trump.

CNN is reporting that the allegations stem from comments he made to his staff and that he “sought to use his government position to benefit the President’s personal business in the UK.”

The report details that Johnson made racist comments about African-American men and questioned the validity of Black History Month.

Johnson reportedly questioned the need for Black History Month and argued that the “real challenge” facing the Black community was that “Black fathers didn’t remain with their families.”

Moreover, Johnson’s comments about women have been described as “cringeworthy” while the report also insisted that it was “a struggle” to get him to agree with being on board with an event for International Women’s Day.

Below is an excerpt from CNN’s report detailing the allegations of racism made against Johnson.

“Three sources said Johnson questioned why the Black community would want a separate month to celebrate Black history and argued that Black fathers didn’t remain with their families and that was the “real challenge.” One source said an official who heard the remarks was “stunned” and that the incident was documented and made known to both the OIG inspectors and a supervisor.”

The following is an excerpt from the allegations of sexism made against him.

“Four sources familiar with Johnson’s meetings told CNN the ambassador hosted official gatherings at a posh men’s-only club in London, the centuries-old, exclusive White’s. Eventually Johnson was told by another diplomat at the embassy in late 2018 that he had to stop holding those meetings, three of the sources said. None of the embassy’s female diplomats would have been able to attend.”

The recent allegations against Woody Johnson could affect his future with the NY Jets.

The 73-year-old Johnson has been the Jets’ owner since January of 2000 when he purchased the team for a whopping $635 million — the third-highest price for a professional sports team at the time.

However, his brother, Christopher, has been overseeing the day-to-day operations of the franchise since 2017 when Woody moved to the United Kingdom to serve under Trump.

Johnson released a statement in response to CNN’s report, but it didn’t exactly address the allegations. He told CNN that it was “the honor of a lifetime” to serve as an ambassador “to lead the talented, diverse team of the U.S. Mission to the United Kingdom.”

The State Department released a statement as well telling CNN “we stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong.”

The racist and sexist remarks reportedly date back to 2017 and 2018 — notably not during his time as acting owner of the Jets. However, he still holds the title in name and was expected to assume control in some fashion upon his return to the states.

Now, his future with the organization is murky.