A New York Times employee was allegedly spat on by a person angry at the paper’s coverage of transgender issues, the media outlet revealed on Thursday.
A Times spokesperson said the assailant "recognized" the journalist who was in their own neighborhood at the time. The person then confronted the unnamed journalist, accusing her employer of making "attempts to eliminate trans people" before spitting on them.
The incident happened a few weeks ago, according to a statement given to The Washington Post's Erik Wemple.
Publisher A.G. Sulzberger made the initial comment during the paper's, "2022 State of the Times," where he warned staff should not be put at risk for threats and harassment due to their reporting on any topic.
"Our employee was recognized in public. The person said something about 'attempts to eliminate trans people' and then spat on the employee,'" Wemple quoted The Times spokesperson. "The date of the incident was Feb. 19, according to the spokesperson," he added.
The paper has faced increased criticism over publishing opinion pieces from conservatives and those skeptical of gender-affirming care.
Fox News Digital reported last month how The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) wrote an open letter to the paper calling it "appalling" for the outlet to give "extremist anti-LGBTQ activists" a platform.
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The activist group, joined by actress Lena Dunham and director Judd Apatow, demanded the paper stop publishing "both sides" in its reporting on transgender topics.
A November New York Times piece that quoted medical professionals warning about decreased bone density and other long-term side effects of puberty blockers set off progressive critics of the paper.
Activists slammed the paper for promoting "transphobia" and "anti-trans propaganda," while conservative critics mocked the outlet for being late to reporting on the negative effects of these medications.
Nearly 200 liberal New York Times contributors and some staffers also signed an open letter last month accusing the paper of following "the lead of far-right hate groups in presenting gender diversity as a new controversy," for the November article they deemed "pseudoscience."
Anonymous liberal staffers blasted their employer in statements to Vanity Fair this week as well over the trans coverage debate, saying that they were "picking a side" by choosing to put critics on the front of the paper. "By being so explicit about not wanting to appear left-leaning, the masthead is, in fact, picking a side," one staffer allegedly said.
Another employee accused the paper of being stuck in the "1980s," in not listening to concerns from the younger generation and internet voices. "We haven’t really progressed as a newsroom to meet this moment," the staffer said.
Fox News' Gabriel Hays contributed to this report.
