Last year in June of 2015, 51-year-old Tracy Quitasol filed a wrongful termination case against the online and news print mogul, The New York Times. Quitasol was terminated after complaining about the repeated sexist behavior of a male subordinate and also believes her dismissal was part of a larger purge by her boss. The lawsuit alleges that a top Times executive eliminated several dozen older workers of color and replaced them with mostly white employees under the age of 40.
The lawsuit claims that the top executive in question made remarks to other managers such as, “We want [our] people to look like the people we are selling to.” Initially, The Times vehemently denied all allegations and labeled them as “malicious” and false, but a month after both parties had a mediation the case was resolved. Both sides agreed to have the lawsuit dismissed without prejudice, meaning the case could no longer be re-filed later on. The settlement was marked confidential however legal experts believe that a quick settlement like this one signals the company paying out big in order to make it go away.
The New York Times is no stranger to lawsuits that set out to defend worker rights and it doesn’t help its image that mere months after resolving Quitasol’s matter another discrimination lawsuit has been brought by a former female executive. The plaintiff, Arielle Davies, was terminated while on maternity leave, after her supervisors insisted she take less than the allotted four months. Her supervisors ultimately answered to the same top executive that was in the hot seat for Quitasol’s lawsuit.
If you or anyone you know is experiencing discrimination or harassment in the workplace that ultimately resulted in a wrongful termination, give the employment lawyers at Fitapelli & Schaffer a call at 212-300-0375 for a free phone consultation or visit our website at www.fslawfirm.com. You’ll have the opportunity to speak with one of our experienced attorneys and address your issues and concerns.