Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the U.S., has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that its diversity efforts, particularly the “Reverse Race Discrimination Policy,” discriminated against non-minority employees.
The policy, introduced in 2020, aimed to ensure that Gannett’s newsrooms’ demographics reflected the communities they covered by 2025.
The lawsuit was filed by current, former, and prospective Gannett employees in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
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The plaintiffs claim that the company’s policy resulted in discrimination against non-minorities on the basis of race. They allege that Gannett’s leadership was incentivized to comply with the policy through bonuses, awards, and promotions.
Gannett operates numerous local media outlets across the U.S. and publishes USA Today. In addition to the diversity policy, the company also pledged in 2020 to expand coverage of issues related to race, identity, social justice, and equality.
One of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Steven Bradley, a former sports editor for a Gannett-owned publication, had previously sued the company in April in state court, alleging that he was fired because he is white.
Gannett’s Chief Legal Counsel, Polly Grunfeld Sack, responded to the lawsuit by stating that the company “seeks to recruit and retain the most qualified individuals for all roles within the company” and that they would vigorously defend their practice of ensuring equal opportunities for all employees.
This lawsuit is not the first of its kind, as other companies and organizations have faced legal challenges over their diversity practices and initiatives.
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