Lawsuit On New York Times For "Ageist, Racist And Sexist Hiring Practices"

Two female employees of the advertising department at The New York Times have filed a federal class action lawsuit charging that age, gender and race discrimination is eroding the newspaper's base.

It was filed on behalf of the black female employees in their 60s in New York on Thursday. It claims that under CEO Mark Thompson's leadership, the environment in the daily is "rife with discrimination."

"Unbeknownst to the world at large, not only does The Times have an ideal customer (young, white, wealthy), but also an ideal staffer (young, white, unencumbered with a family) to draw that purported ideal customer," the lawsuit said.

Plaintiffs Ernestine Grant and Marjorie Walker have worked here for 16 and eight years respectively. They claim  that the daily has subverted diversity. It is one location in which "strong older female voices are considered 'pushy' and 'difficult' rather than 'assertive' and 'aggressive.'"

Therefore, the advertising directors are no longer a blend of races and ages, but have become "increasingly younger and whiter."

"Older advertising directors of color found themselves pushed out through buyouts, or outright terminated, but those vacancies were rapidly filled with younger, white individuals," the lawsuit said.

Thus, the lawsuit says that only four of the 14 members of the Times board of directors are women, as is one of the 10 members of its executive committee.

Speaking out against the lawsuit, Times spokeswoman Eileen Murphy called the suit "entirely without merit" and said the company intends to "fight it vigorously in court."

"This lawsuit contains a series of recycled, scurrilous and unjustified attacks on both (president & CEO) Mark Thompson and Meredith Levien. It also completely distorts the realities of the work environment at The New York Times," Murphy said.

In the meantime, Grant and Walker are seeking monetary damages and attorney costs.