Feds sue New York Times claiming white male discrimination

MANHATTAN (CN) — The Trump administration on Tuesday slapped The New York Times with a fresh lawsuit claiming the nation's top newspaper discriminated against a white male employee by declining to promote him to a top editorial role.

In a 17-page complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says the Times violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by declining to promote a white man to the role of deputy real estate editor and advancing women and candidates of color instead.

According to the government, this was part of a conscious effort by the paper's leadership to boost diversity — an effort that the Trump administration has been pegging as unlawful in its escalating war on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

"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," Andrea Lucas, President Donald Trump's 2025 appointment to EEOC chair, said in a statement. "The EEOC is prepared to root out discrimination anywhere it may rear its head. No matter the size or power of the employer, the EEOC under my leadership will not pull punches in ensuring evenhanded, colorblind enforcement of Title VII to protect America's workers, including white males."

The EEOC claims the white male candidate, who isn't named in the suit, was "significantly more qualified" for the promotion than the one who was ultimately selected, lauding his "considerable experience" with newsgathering and managing staff.

"In addition to his real estate news experience, charging party's cover letter and resume showed his experience and abilities in innovative storytelling and different journalism formats," the government claims.

In the end, the Times went with what the EEOC describes as a "multiracial female," who was purportedly less qualified and only selected to satisfy the paper's diversity goals. These goals unduly punish white male candidates, the government says, pointing to a 2024 "Diversity and Inclusion" report from the Times that detailed its efforts to diversity staff.

A graph from that report was embedded into the lawsuit, showing a steady decline in percentage of white staffers at the paper. According to the 2024 graph, though, 60% of the paper's staff is white, as is 68% of its leadership.

In a statement, Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said the paper "categorically rejects the politically motivated allegations brought by the Trump administration's EEOC."

"Our employment practices are merit-based and focused on recruiting and promoting the best talent in the world. We will defend ourselves vigorously," she said.

The Times reported this week that the EEOC was investigating it for discrimination and preparing a civil lawsuit. Ha said the process was "highly unusual," as the commission's accusation hinged on a single personnel decision for one of over 100 deputy positions across the newsroom.

"The EEOC's filing makes sweeping claims that ignore the facts to fit a predetermined narrative. Neither race nor gender played a role in this decision — we hired the most qualified candidate, and she is an excellent editor," Ha said. "The New York Times's commitment to diversity in all its forms is longstanding and unwavering, as is our commitment to a fair and legal hiring process that does not discriminate against anyone."

Responsible for enforcing civil rights laws in the workplace, the EEOC has been reworked into an arm of Trump's crusade against DEI. This has resulted in an unprecedented targeting of supposed anti-white discrimination, despite the commission's history of protecting racial and ethnic minorities.

As recently as last week, the Times reported employees at the EEOC have said they feel pressure to bring cases looked upon favorably by the administration and the president, even if they lack a strong legal basis.

The president himself has sued the Times. In October, he refiled a $15 billion defamation claim against the paper and its reporters, claiming they sought to undermine his 2024 campaign and damage his reputation. A federal judge lambasted an earlier form of the lawsuit for being "tedious," "burdensome" and "repetitive."