America‘s largest newspaper publisher is formerly on notice of a legal challenge over a so-called reverse racism policy.
In the lawsuit filed in Virginia federal court, there are currently five named plaintiffs, four men and one woman, whose careers were allegedly adversely affected by Gannett Co. Inc.’s corporate diversity protocols.
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The employees were allegedly denied promotion opportunities and some were even fired because of Gannett’s goal of reaching “racial and gender parity” by 2025.
Executives are accused of tying manager bonuses and perks to hiring quotas based on the demographics of the local community.
The lawsuit also alleges that a high-ranking executive told managers that “no more straight White males should be hired going forward.”
Gannett’s legal counsel, Polly Grunfeld Sack, claimed Gannett “seeks to recruit and retain the most qualified individuals for all roles within the company.”
She then called the lawsuit “meritless.”
The plaintiffs are seeking a court order to stop Gannett’s affirmative action policy and a jury trial.
They are also asking for lost wages (past and future) as well as other damages.
As of publishing this article, the South Bend Tribune has not published a story about its parent company, the largest newspaper publisher in the country, being sued.
Last April, the Tribune announced a partnership with WNDU-TV.
WNDU hasn’t published a story about this situation either. Their last mention of Gannett was about Tribune workers going on strike against Gannett in June.
