Expand / Collapse search
☰

EEOC sues New York Times after white man was passed over for promotion

By
Published  May 6, 2026 5:10pm EDT
U.S.
FOX Local
article

A view of the New York Times building on 8th Avenue during a snowstorm January 25, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Craig T Fruchtman/Getty Images)

The Brief

    • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is suing the New York Times, accusing it of discrimination.
    • The agency filed the lawsuit after a white man was passed over for a promotion to a deputy editor position.
    • The newspaper defended the hiring and alleged the EEOC deviated from its standard practices.

A federal civil rights agency accused the New York Times of violating U.S. law in early 2025 when it passed over a white man for a promotion, arguing his race or sex played a role in the decision.

The backstory:

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit against the newspaper, claiming the Times’ leadership considered the race and sex of candidates for an open Deputy Real Estate Editor position. The agency alleged the New York Times is committed to using those factors when making decisions as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

The employee in question had extensive experience covering real estate and failed to reach the final round of interviews for the editor position, according to the EEOC statement, which noted none of the finalists were white men. The EEOC said the editor job ended up going to an outside candidate, a non-white woman, who did not go through the standard interview process and was rated less favorably than the other candidates who also reached the final round. 


RELATED: Transgender policy at elite women’s college spurs Education Dept. investigation

What they're saying:

"No one is above the law — including ‘elite’ institutions. There is no such thing as "reverse discrimination"; all race or sex discrimination is equally unlawful, according to long-established civil rights principles," said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.

The other side:

"Neither race nor gender played a role in this decision – we hired the most qualified candidate, and she is an excellent editor," New York Times spokeswoman Danielle Rhoades Ha said. 

Ha accused the agency of "deviat[ing] from standard practices in highly unusual ways" and "ignor[ing] facts to fit a predetermined narrative." She said that the case involved a single hiring decision and pointed out there are more than 100 deputy editors across the New York Times newsroom.

Dig deeper:

The EEOC pointed to the New York Times’ 2021 "Call to Action" and other statements as examples that it wanted to increase non-white and female representation in leadership positions. 

The Source: Information for this article was taken from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission statement and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.

U.S.