The New York Times files a countersuit in federal court, accusing the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission of political retaliation and constitutional violations after the agency sued the paper over a deputy real estate editor hire.The countersuit says the Commission brought its claim on behalf of Bryant Rousseau only after The New York Times reported that Commission staff were pressured to prioritize cases consistent with President Donald Trump’s anti-diversity agenda, and that conciliation ended abruptly.The New York Times says an eight-month review found no evidence that race or gender determined the choice of a multiracial woman who had been a deputy editor at Eater and presented a vision for the real estate section, and it seeks dismissal and legal fees.The filing spotlights Chair
Andrea Lucas’s effort to challenge corporate diversity policies, notes other probes including one involving
Nike, and raises questions about agency independence and the scope of
Title VII enforcement.