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The New York Jets have responded to allegations made by former employee Elaine Chen.
Chen has filed a lawsuit claiming she was fired in response to her role in an investigation of allegations of sexual misconduct against team president Hymie Elhai. Chen alleges the Jets retaliated against her and her husband after complaints were made against Elhai.
The Jets have provided a statement to Fox News Digital calling the allegations “categorically false” and that the organization is filing legal claims against Chen and her husband.
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Oct 6, 2024; Tottenham, ENG; New York Jets helmets are held by staff before the match against Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. (Shaun Brooks/Imagn Images)
“The recent allegations against the organization and Mr. Elhai are categorically false. We are filing legal claims, including defamation and libel against Ms. Chen, her husband, Larry Fitzpatrick, and other parties involved,” the statement read.
“The allegations made against Mr. Elhai were taken seriously and investigated thoroughly in accordance with organization policy, and involved third party investigative measures.
“That investigation revealed the truth, with a disturbing twist: the allegations of harassment were not only baseless, but the email at the center of the allegations was part of a deliberate and unlawful conspiracy of then-current and former Jets employees, including Ms. Chen and her husband, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”
Chen’s lawsuit did not identify her husband by name. Fitzpatrick was the team’s Vice President of Ticket Sales & Services.
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The organization’s statement also included a series of points addressing Chen’s allegations.
“The investigation’s facts and findings are irrefutable:
- The plaintiff, Ms. Chen, knowingly participated in the fabricated email and lied to the company about her involvement.
- The Complaint deliberately omits critical evidence of Ms. Chen’s role in the conspiracy and contradicts statements she made during her own investigative interview.
- Her husband, Mr. Fitzpatrick, among other misconduct, lied about his role in sending the fabricated email and attempted to obstruct the investigation by deleting over 4,000 text messages—some of which outline the timeline and implicate Ms. Chen in the scheme from its inception. As a consequence, Mr. Fitzpatrick’s employment with the Jets was terminated.
- The text messages and interactions the Complaint attributes to Mr. Elhai are grossly over exaggerated and positioned for the sole purpose of the fabricated narrative. Furthermore, prior to the fabricated email, the company had conducted multiple company-wide confidential surveys by outside firms and no allegations of harassment were raised by Ms. Chen, her husband, or anyone else.
- The former Jets employee referenced in the suit has already acknowledged and admitted that the allegations of harassment by Mr. Elhai had no factual basis and that he worked in concert with Mr. Fitzpatrick to facilitate the email,” the statement continued.
In her lawsuit, Chen alleges the Jets were “targeting anyone who supported the allegations against Elhai and/or the belief that Mr. Elhai’s sexual conduct warranted an actual investigation and/or disciplinary action.”
The lawsuit also claims her husband was fired after he “confirmed” the allegations in the investigation.
The Jets claim they typically don’t comment on active litigation, but opted to due to the circumstances of this case.
“While we would typically decline to comment until we file our legal response, in this case, we are compelled to do so immediately given Ms. Chen’s decision to continue the unlawful conspiracy through litigation and make the circumstances of her termination by the Jets a matter of public record. Ms. Chen’s legal claims of marital status discrimination and retaliation are meritless, legally and factually,” the statement alleges.
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Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New York Jets helmets during the second half against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. (Jim Dedmon/USA TODAY Sports)
“She was fired by the Jets for legitimate and lawful business reasons: specifically, for her egregious misconduct, including the deletion of communications and lies, all in furtherance of an unlawful conspiracy to harm and defame both the organization and Mr. Elhai with the malicious intention of getting him fired, and destroying his reputation and career.
“We do not intend to comment further while legal proceedings are underway.”
An attorney for Chen could not be reached for comment.
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