More details have emerged regarding racist and sexist comments allegedly made by Jets owner Woody Johnson.
A 39-page report from U.S. State Department consisting of interviews and questionnaires with employees at the United States Embassy in London determined Johnson “sometimes made inappropriate or insensitive comments on topics generally considered Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)-sensitive, such as religion, sex, or color,” according to the document obtained by ESPN.
The report references allegations in stories from The New York Times and CNN that Johnson made racist and sexist remarks during his time as U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom, a position he assumed in 2017.
Johnson allegedly asked if the crowd for a 2018 Black History Month event would be comprised of “a whole bunch of Black people,” and why African Americans want a Black History Month. He also allegedly purported that Black fathers abandoning their families was the “real challenge. Johnson also made disparaging comments about women, including objectifying their appearance and clothes and saying he prefers working with them because they’re cheaper than men.
Johnson denied the allegations vehemently, both in a statement on Twitter and in the State Department report.
“If I have unintentionally offended anyone in the execution of my duties, I deeply regret that, but I do not accept that I have treated employees with disrespect or discriminated in any way,” Johnson said, per the report obtained by ESPN.
Johnson has also been accused of using his position to promote President Trump’s businesses overseas, a claim which Johnson also denied.
The NFL referred questions on the matter to the State Department, while a State Department spokesperson said Johnson is “a valued member of the team who has led Mission U.K. honorably and professionally.” The Jets, Johnson’s brother, Christopher, and general manager Joe Douglas also defended Johnson.
The Office of the Inspector General concluded that “a more thorough review by the dept is warranted” after the extent of Johnson’s alleged actions were realized. Johnson said he and his staff have or will review courses on work-place discrimination, but that wasn’t enough to curb the OIG’s investigation, which began in 2019.