Andrea Lucas targets news media as equal employment opportunity chair

July 10, 2026 | NYT alleges EEOC suit violated First Amendment

May 5, 2026 | EEOC files lawsuit alleging discriminatory hiring practices at NYT

July 10, 2026 | NYT alleges EEOC suit violated First Amendment

The New York Times alleged in a July 10, 2026, federal court filing that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission violated its First and Fifth amendment rights when the agency sued the paper over alleged discrimination against a white male employee.

The EEOC’s May complaint asserts that the Times’ diversity goals and production of annual diversity and inclusion reports demonstrate an institutional practice of discrimination against white men.

In a social media post announcing the suit, the commission highlighted that a “qualified white male employee was excluded from final interviews” while only non-white males were selected, and that the role went to another candidate “with less relevant experience.”

In its July counterclaim, the Times said that the EEOC’s complaint, which came soon after it published two articles about the agency, was an act of retaliation for its critical coverage of the Trump administration and EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas.

One of those articles cited employees who said they felt pressured to bring cases alleging discrimination against white men and antisemitism on college campuses, the Times reported.

“The commission’s retaliatory, bad faith use of its authority to target The Times violates the First and Fifth Amendments,” lawyers for the news organization wrote, adding that it “poses a uniquely insidious threat to a free and independent press.”

The white male employee, Bryant Rousseau, had sought a deputy real estate editor position but was not selected; the role ultimately went to a multiracial woman. Rousseau, who resigned from the paper in June, filed a separate claim in the same case that month, according to the Times.

The paper said it had informed the EEOC before the filing of the agency’s May lawsuit that “candidates of color of both sexes with more real estate experience than Rousseau also were not advanced during the hiring process.”

The Times also cited numerous other reasons that the selected candidate was the most qualified person for the job.

“The facts here preclude any claim that Rousseau was discriminated against,” the Times’ attorneys wrote in asking the court to dismiss the complaint.

May 5, 2026 | EEOC files lawsuit alleging discriminatory hiring practices at NYT

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued The New York Times on May 5, 2026, following a monthslong investigation led by Chair Andrea Lucas over the newspaper’s alleged discrimination against a white male employee.

The complaint asserts that the Times’ diversity goals and production of annual diversity and inclusion reports demonstrate an institutional practice of discrimination against white men.

In a social media post announcing the suit, the EEOC highlighted that a “qualified white male employee was excluded from final interviews” while only non-white males were selected, and that the role went to another candidate “with less relevant experience.”

“No one is above the law — including ‘elite’ institutions,” Lucas said in a statement. “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.”

Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha called the allegations “politically motivated,” asserting that they represent just the latest effort to leverage the tools of the federal government to pursue President Donald Trump’s personal aims.

“Throughout this process, the E.E.O.C. deviated from standard practices in highly unusual ways, blatantly weaponizing a traditionally independent government body to serve a predetermined narrative,” Rhoades Ha told the Times. “We will defend ourselves and our values vigorously as there is not a single piece of evidence to support any claim of discrimination.”

Kalpana Kotagal, the sole Democrat on the commission, voted against authorizing the lawsuit. In a post on social media, she argued that a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility alone is not evidence of discrimination.

“These programs are critical to building and maintaining successful workplaces as well as attracting and retaining top talent,” Kotagal wrote. “I fear this litigation is driven not by the merits, but by a desire to advance the administration’s political agenda, which weakens civil rights protections for workers and undermines employer efforts to advance equal employment opportunity.

“Notably, this litigation is filed on the heels of New York Times reporting on the weaponization of the agency, and the diversion of limited resources toward cases that align with the administration’s priorities,” she added.