The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission claims that the newspaper favored diversity goals over merit in promotion decisions
The New York Times has been sued by a US government agency over allegations that its diversity policies led to discrimination against a white male employee in a newsroom promotion decision.
The lawsuit, filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, centers on the appointment of a deputy real estate editor in 2025. The agency alleges that the newspaper violated federal law by passing over the employee because of his race and sex.
According to the complaint, the senior editor, who had worked at the paper since 2014, was more qualified for the position but was excluded from the final round of interviews.
The EEOC said the decision was influenced by the newspaper’s publicly stated diversity goals, including a 2021 initiative aimed at increasing the number of women and people of color in leadership positions. “Every candidate who advanced through to the final interview process was not a white male,” the agency said.
EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said federal law “does not allow race or sex-based employment decisions,” adding that there is “no diversity exception” to the anti-discrimination rules.
The NYT rejected the allegations, calling the case politically motivated and vowing to “vigorously” defend itself in court. Company spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha said the newspaper’s hiring practices are merit-based and that “neither race nor gender played a role” in the appointment.
The case comes amid a broader campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies by US President Donald Trump, who has argued that these programs discriminate against white employees and promote “woke bias.”
Since returning to office in 2025, Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at rolling back DEI initiatives in the federal government and regulated industries. A number of major corporations, including Walmart and Google, have also scaled back or removed DEI commitments from public materials and company policies.
In September, Trump filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the NYT, accusing it of conducting a smear campaign against him and favoring Democrats in its coverage. Trump claims that the newspaper has misrepresented him for years.
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