A former New York Jets employee has claimed in an explosive new lawsuit that she was fired following a sexual harassment investigation into team president Hymie Elhai.
Elaine Chen has sued the NFL team over allegations she was dismissed in response to the accusations of sexual misconduct against Elhai.
Chen, the Jets’ former vice president of finance, claimed in a lawsuit filed this week that the franchise retaliated against her and her husband, the team’s former vice president for ticket sales Larry Fitzpatrick, after they made complaints against Elhai, according to The Athletic.
The Jets branded the allegations ‘categorically false’ in a statement provided to The Daily Mail. The organization said it is planning to countersue Chen, Fitzpatrick and other parties involved for defamation and libel.
‘The allegations made against Mr. Elhai were taken seriously and investigated thoroughly in accordance with organization policy, and involved third party investigative measures,’ a Jets spokesperson said.
‘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.’
A former New York Jets employee has claimed she was fired in response to allegations of sexual misconduct made against team president Hymie Elhai (pictured)
Chen reportedly claims in the lawsuit that an anonymous email was sent to several Jets employees in July that accused Elhai of sending inappropriate text messages to multiple female members of staff.
The email also allegedly accused that Elhai of other moments of misconduct, including inappropriate taunts and comments.
Elhai has been with the organization since 2000 and became the team’s president in 2019.
The Jets have said that a former team employee has already acknowledged and admitted that the allegations of harassment by Elhai had no factual basis and that he worked with Fitzpatrick to facilitate the email.
The Jets opened an investigation into the allegations and into the sender of the email. However, Chen claims that they 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.’
Her husband was reportedly forwarded a copy of the email complaint and was questioned about it by the franchise.
According to the lawsuit, Fitzpatrick, who was only referred to as Chen’s husband in the filing, ‘confirmed’ the allegations against Elhai. It claimed he was then soon fired.
The team is said to have then questioned Chen, who said her only connection to the email was her marital status. She claims she had ‘no firsthand knowledge’ of the alleged harassment, but that she had heard accusations that Elhai had allegedly sexually harassed other female Jets employees.
Elhai is pictured far left during the introductory press conference for former Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (center) in April 2023
According to Chen’s lawsuit, the Jets said they were firing her because they could no longer trust her and that she ‘failed to put the company’s interest at the forefront of (her) decision-making’ amid a conflict of interest.
Chen has reportedly accused the organization of discrimination as she claims at least two other employees who also received the anonymous email were not dismissed.
However, the Jets have accused Chen of lying about her involvement in the ‘fabricated email’ and that she knowingly participated. They also said that her complaint ‘deliberately omits critical evidence’ of her role in the ‘conspiracy’ against Elhai and ‘contradicts statements she made during her own investigative interview.’
They claim that Fitzpatrick lied about his role in sending the email and attempted to obstruct the investigation by deleting over 4,000 text messages, some of which outlined the timeline and implicated Chen in the scheme from its inception, which led to his dismissal.
The franchise also described the text messages attributed to Elhai as ‘grossly over exaggerated and positioned for the sole purpose of the fabricated narrative.’
The Jets maintain that prior to the anonymous email being circulated, multiple company-wide confidential surveys by outside firms had been conducted. They say that no allegations of harassment were raised by Chen, Fitzpatrick or any other member of staff.
The team’s statement added: ‘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. 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.
The franchise said it does not intend to comment further while legal proceedings are underway.
