The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is preparing to file a civil rights lawsuit against The New York Times over a reverse-discrimination claim filed by a white male employee.

The Times said in an article Sunday that the EEOC’s probe stems from a July 2025 complaint by a white male employee who said he was denied a promotion because of his race and gender.

"The New York Times categorically rejects the meritless and politically motivated allegations that the Trump administration's E.E.O.C. is pursuing against us," Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for the Times, said in a statement.

"Our employment practices are, and have always been, lawful, merit-based, and focused on recruiting and promoting the best talent in the world," Rhoades Ha added.

She also said the allegations were "politically motivated."

The Times and the EEOC briefly engaged in "conciliation," an informal, confidential and voluntary mediation process in which both parties work toward a mutually agreed resolution, without either side being required to accept the outcome.

On April 21, the EEOC told the Times the case had been referred to the agency's legal unit for review.

"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 said.

"If this lawsuit moves forward, we will defend ourselves and our values vigorously as there is not a single piece of evidence to support any claim of discrimination."

The EEOC has focused on investigating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as potentially illegal discrimination following President Donald Trump’s January 2025 executive order "restoring even-handed civil rights enforcement and directing the federal government, including the EEOC, to combat serious patterns of discrimination and harassment that have gone unchecked for too long."

Andrea Lucas, the EEOC chair, last year said companies that factor race, sex, or other protected characteristics into employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act could face enforcement actions or litigation.

"My goal is to shift to a conservative view of civil rights," Lucas said in a wide-ranging interview with Reuters.

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