Press Release: The Free Press Spotlights The New York Times Whistleblower at the Center of NJAC Shareholder Suit
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 9, 2026
CONTACT:
National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC)
Phone: (332) 278-1100
Email: press@njaclaw.org
THE FREE PRESS SPOTLIGHTS THE NEW YORK TIMES WHISTLEBLOWER AT THE CENTER OF NJAC SHAREHOLDER SUIT
A follow-up to The Free Press's coverage of the shareholder books-and-records lawsuit against The New York Times Company, focused on a longtime newsroom employee and what she says happened after she reported bias inside the paper.
NEW YORK, NY — The National Jewish Advocacy Center (NJAC) welcomed The Free Press's publication of EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblower Behind the ‘New York Times’ Lawsuit Speaks Out About Anti-Israel Bias by Maya Sulkin. The article centers on a former New York Times newsroom employee, who is not being identified, whose account is part of the shareholder books-and-records lawsuit against The New York Times Company. It follows The Free Press's earlier report on the lawsuit.
The whistleblower worked in The Times's newsroom for about ten years, from 2016 to 2026. The shareholders' petition alleges that starting in 2019 she raised concerns about anti-Israel bias and violations of The Times's own editorial standards on at least fifteen separate occasions. According to the petition, those channels did not address what she reported. Instead, her desk supervisor directed that future complaints go through the same supervisor her complaints were about. The petition alleges that the Standards desk confirmed the change in writing and apologized that she had gotten “in trouble of some kind” for escalating. It also alleges that Human Resources asked her to edit or delete an internal Slack message supporting Jewish colleagues. She was told that “it’s not your job to be the ombudsman of the New York Times,” and that colleagues were “reluctant to work with” her.
According to the petition, she preserved a detailed record of what she reported and how the Company responded, including records of conversations with supervisors and Human Resources, EthicsPoint complaints, Slack messages, and a twenty-six-slide presentation she delivered to Deputy Standards Editor Mike Abrams.
"She did what The New York Times tells its own journalists to do. She saw what she believed were violations of the paper's written standards, and she reported them through the channels the Company set up for that purpose, again and again. By her account, those channels sent her complaints back to the supervisor they were about. The question our clients are asking is simple: Did any of this ever reach the Board? So far, The Times has refused to answer," said Mark Goldfeder, CEO of the National Jewish Advocacy Center.
The lawsuit, State Board of Administration of Florida, on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, and National Center for Public Policy Research v. The New York Times Company, is a shareholder books-and-records proceeding in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York, filed on September 23, 2026. It is brought under Section 624 of New York's Business Corporation Law, New York common law, and Article 4 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules. NJAC serves as Of Counsel to the petitioners. The petitioners want to inspect Board and committee records that would show whether The Times's directors oversee the Company's compliance with its own editorial standards, and whether they monitor the Company's exposure to defamation claims and reputational risk. The petitioners have stated that they do not seek editorial deliberations, reporters' notes, unpublished drafts, source information, or attorney work product.
NJAC's clients are also deeply concerned by the recent decline in their New York Times shares. In the week the shareholders filed suit, Times stock fell as much as 11.9 percent before recovering to a roughly 9.8 percent decline, as reported by The Motley Fool and Yahoo Finance ("Why The New York Times Company Plunged This Week," Sept. 24, 2026). "Our clients are deeply concerned by the recent plunge in their NYT shares. We hope The Times releases the requested books and records without delay. Restoring credibility starts with practicing the transparency it demands of others," said Anat Alon-Beck, Corporate Counsel, at NJAC.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center is a nonprofit organization that harnesses the power of the legal system to advocate for and protect Jewish civil rights using creative, innovative strategies. For media inquiries or assistance, contact press@njaclaw.org or (332) 278-1100. This press release can be found at http://njaclaw.org on the News tab.
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