Glenn Thrush suspended by New York Times for 2 months, removed from White House beat

New York Times has announced that political reporter Glenn Thrush would be suspended for two months and removed from his perch at the White House.

“While we believe that Glenn has acted offensively, we have decided that he does not deserve to be fired. Instead, we have suspended him for two months and removed him from the White House beat,” read a statement from the paper. “He will receive training designed to improve his workplace conduct. In addition, Glenn is undergoing counseling and substance abuse rehabilitation on his own. We will reinstate him as a reporter on a new beat upon his return.”

The decision caps a long and tortuous process for the paper, which announced last month that it would investigate Thrush over allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment while he was employed by Politico. Thrush has been suspended both from the paper and from MSNBC, where he serves as a contributor, as the investigation moved forward.

Also Read:NY Times Reporter Glenn Thrush Suspended Amid Investigation of Sexual Misconduct

Thrush’s troubles began when Vox published incriminating text messages that detailed what appeared to be an unwanted sexual encounter between the 50-year-old Thrush and a 23-year-old journalist.

The report also detailed accusations of unwanted groping and kissing by the White House correspondent toward other women, often in bars.

“The alleged behavior is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times. We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended. We support his decision to enter a substance abuse program. In the meantime, we will not be commenting further,” a New York Times spokesperson told TheWrap when the charges first became known.

In their original report, Vox outlined numerous texts between Thrush and Bianca Padró Ocasio, who accused the Times journalist of luring a young female journalist friend when they were both drunk before making the pass.

“I want to make sure you don’t lure young women aspiring journalists into those situations ever again. So help me out here. How can I do that?” said Ocasio.

In addition, the piece also cited sources who said that once rejected, Thrush would disparage the women to other colleagues by implying they came onto him and he rejected their advances.

Thrush said his intensions had been misinterpreted and he had probably gotten too drunk that night because he had recently received bad health news.

“I am acutely aware of the hurdles that young women face in this business and have spent the better part of 20 years advocating for women journalists,” he wrote, according to the texts published in Vox.

The Thrush news came as an earthquake in media circles. Since their original report on Harvey Weinstein, The New York Times has led the way in exposing some of the most high profile cases of sexual misconduct in Hollywood, media and politics. Many eyes had been on the Gray Lady in recent week to see how they would respond to the Thrush charges.

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