The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The New York Times on Tuesday, accusing the newspaper of violating federal civil rights law by denying a promotion to a White male editor while allegedly relying on diversity, equity, and inclusion goals in its hiring process.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, alleges that the Times passed over an 11-year employee who sought a deputy real estate editor position in early 2025. The EEOC said the editor had extensive experience in real estate journalism but was not advanced to the final interview stage. Every candidate who did advance, according to the agency, was not a White male.
