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EEOC sues NYT
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued the New York Times on Tuesday, alleging the paper discriminated against a white, male employee by passing him over for a promotion. Axios said the EEOC targeted a “white, male employee” who claims he was denied a promotion based on demographic attributes, and noted the lawsuit is the third filed by President Trump or his administration against the Times in less than five years. The BBC said the EEOC charged the employee was passed over for promotion to deputy real estate editor, a position listed in January 2025. The EEOC’s complaint, as described by CNN, was filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of a White male employee who claims he was denied a promotion because of his race and gender.
“The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued the New York Times for discriminating against a white, male employee”
Competing claims
In a statement, EEOC chair Andrea Lucas said, “Federal law is clear: making hiring or promotion decisions motivated in whole or in part by race or sex violates federal law. There is no diversity exception to this rule,” according to CBS News. The New York Times responded through spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha, who said, “The New York Times categorically rejects the politically motivated allegations brought by the Trump administration’s EEOC,” as quoted by CBS News. The Guardian reported that the EEOC lawsuit demanded “appropriate backpay with prejudgement interest” and alleged the Times passed over the employee because he was “a White male” who did not match “the race and/or sex characteristics NYT sought to increase in its leadership through its diversity actions and aspirations.” Politico added that Kalpana Kotagal, the commission’s sole Democratic appointee, said she feared “this litigation is driven not by the merits, but by a desire to advance the administration’s political agenda.”
What happens next
The EEOC lawsuit seeks a court order barring the Times from discriminating on the basis of race or sex, and CNN reported it also seeks back pay with interest, compensation for “emotional pain” and “mental anguish,” and punitive damages for alleged “malicious and/or reckless conduct.” CNN said the complaint also seeks either a promotion to deputy editor or front pay, tying the requested remedy to the deputy real estate editor role. Axios reported the EEOC pointed to the Times’ diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and a 2021 “Call to Action” to increase non-white and female representation in leadership. The Hill described the Times’ account of the process, including that conciliation is an informal and confidential mediation step that allows both parties to discuss and agree to resolution, which neither the EEOC nor the employer can be forced to accept.
“and punitive damages for alleged “malicious and/or reckless conduct””
