Jets owner Woody Johnson accused of making racist and sexist comments while working government job, per report

Jets owner Woody Johnson was recently investigated by the State Department watchdog over allegations that he made inappropriate comments to some of his staff while serving as the United States' ambassador to the United Kingdom, a job he's held since 2017, according to CNN. The alleged comments from Johnson were viewed as both racist and sexist.

One of the main accusations against Johnson is that he made "racist generalizations about Black men and questioned why the Black community celebrates Black History Month," according to CNN. A person in the State Department also told CNN that Johnson would make "cringeworthy" remarks about women. The report also notes that the staff struggled to get Johnson on board for an event that was being held to celebrate International Women's Day. 

Although Johnson didn't address any of the specific allegations when asked for comment by CNN, he did address the situation on Twitter, where he denied all wrongdoing. 

"I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times," Johnson wrote. "These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.

Johnson has also been accused of trying to convince the British government to put a future Open Championship at Donald Trump's resort in Scotland, which was a request that Johnson allegedly made at the behest of Trump,  

In a statement to CNN, a government spokesperson made it clear that the State Department would be standing by Johnson, despite the multiple allegations. 

"We stand by Ambassador Johnson and look forward to him continuing to ensure our special relationship with the UK is strong," the spokesperson said. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Jets released a statement of their own on social media:

"We are aware of allegations against Ambassador Johnson, which he specifically denied in the following statement earlier today:

'I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.'

Since the Johnson family became owners of the New York Jets, the organization has consistently and actively supported, engaged and encouraged the development of many different social justice, diversity, women's and inclusion initiatives. These initiatives have been implemented internally and in our community. One of our fundamental principles is treating employees, players, coaches and fans with respect and dignity, regardless of their race, color, religion or gender. These principles have been established by the Johnson family, which Woody implemented in our organization over the past 20 years."

Although Johnson has the support of the State Department and his team, he definitely doesn't have the support of one of his star players. After hearing about the allegations, Jets safety Jamal Adams took to Twitter to call for better leadership. 

The NFL is also aware of the allegations, but decided to defer to the State Department when asked to comment on the case. 

"We are aware of the report and would refer you to the State Department," the league said, via the New York Daily News.

Although Johnson is technically the owner of the Jets, he hasn't actively been making team decisions since taking his government position. After Johnson accepted the ambassador role, the job of running the Jets was handed over to his brother, Chris Johnson. Woody Johnson has owned the Jets since 2000.