EEOC Sues NYT for Alleged Racial and Gender Discrimination Against White Male Employee

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging the newspaper discriminated against a white male employee by denying him a promotion based on his race and/or sex.

In a statement, the EEOC contends that the Times "chose not to promote a well-qualified white male employee because of his race and/or sex."

The lawsuit centers on an editor at the Times who applied for a senior position as deputy real estate editor. Despite his extensive experience in real estate journalism, he was not selected for the role, nor did he advance to the final round of interviews.

According to the EEOC, the position was ultimately filled by a candidate who did not meet the stated qualifications for the job. The selected candidate was a "multiracial female" with no experience in real estate journalism. The lawsuit claims that the hiring manager had already decided to choose this candidate before conducting interviews, as evidenced by an internal email.

The EEOC’s complaint also notes that the finalists for the position included "a white female, a black male, an Asian female, and a multiracial female."

Times Denies Allegations, Calls Them Politically Motivated

The New York Times has strongly denied the allegations, calling them "politically motivated" and tied to the Trump administration’s EEOC.

"The New York Times categorically rejects the politically motivated allegations brought by the Trump administration's EEOC," said Danielle Rhoades Ha, a Times spokesperson. "Our employment practices are merit-based and focused on recruiting and promoting the best talent in the world. We will defend ourselves vigorously."

EEOC Claims Align with Times’ Diversity Goals

The lawsuit highlights the Times’ own diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including its 2021 proposal, A Call to Action, which explicitly sought to increase the representation of "people of color—and particularly women of color" in leadership roles.

The proposal stated that leaders would be evaluated based on their success in "creating pathways" for a "diverse" group of deputies to succeed them, with a focus on hiring black, Latino, and female applicants. The document also endorsed the idea of gradually replacing existing leadership with women of color, excluding "white and unspecified" ethnicities.

Critics argue that these policies may have contributed to the alleged discriminatory hiring practices outlined in the lawsuit.