A federal civil rights agency filed a discrimination lawsuit Tuesday against The New York Times, claiming that the new organisation passed over a white male employee for a promotion in favour of a lesser qualified woman to meet its diversity goals.

The New York Times called the lawsuit politically motivated and said it would defend itself “vigorously”.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed the lawsuit Tuesday on behalf of a New York Times editor who lodged a complaint after he didn’t get the role of deputy real estate editor in 2025, alleging gender and racial discrimination under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of sex, race, national origin or religion.