Gannett Accused For Reverse Racial Discrimination

Gannett, the largest US newspaper publisher, is facing a lawsuit claiming its efforts to diversify newsrooms led to discrimination against white workers.

The Ny Post reports the proposed class action was filed in Virginia federal court by five current and former Gannett employees who say they were fired or passed over for promotions to make room for less-qualified women and minorities.

The plaintiffs say those decisions were driven by a policy announced in 2020 under which Gannett aims to have its newsrooms reflect the demographics of the communities they cover by 2025.

Gannett has also tied executive bonuses and promotions to success meeting the goals outlined in the policy, according to the lawsuit.

“Gannett executed their reverse race discrimination policy with a callous indifference towards civil rights laws or the welfare of the workers, and prospective workers, whose lives would be upended by it,” the plaintiffs said in the lawsuit. 

Polly Grunfeld Sack, Virginia-based Gannett’s chief legal counsel, said the company always seeks to recruit and retain the most qualified workers.

“We will vigorously defend our practice of ensuring equal opportunities for all our valued employees against this meritless lawsuit,” Sack said in a statement.

The lawsuit comes amid growing backlash to increasingly prevalent corporate diversity policies. Unlike other pending cases brought by conservative groups, the claims against Gannett were filed directly by the company’s employees.

Many experts expect an uptick in such challenges following a US Supreme Court ruling in June that struck down race-conscious college admissions policies. On Tuesday, a group formed by conservative activist Edward Blum, who spearheaded the Supreme Court case, sued two major US law firms over fellowships they offer to racial minorities and LGBT people.