It’s a bit premature to speculate on the possibility of the former executive editor of the New York Times filing a discrimination lawsuit against the paper and its publisher, as she was only terminated earlier this week. However, the woman apparently confronted the newspaper management about being paid substantially less than the man who held the position before her, an allegation many Missouri employees may find interesting.

The New York Times publisher issued a memo to his staff, in an attempt to “set the record straight” regarding their colleague’s firing. In it, the publisher claimed that in 2013, the woman’s “total compensation package was more than 10% higher than that of her predecessor . . . in his last full year as Executive Editor.”

No specifics were mentioned on either executive’s compensation packages or salary. The publisher also conceded that comparisons were difficult because employees’ pension benefits are calculated by their years of employment with the paper, and all plans were frozen five years ago. The employee chosen as her replacement is a black male, making him the first African American executive editor of the New York Times.

The publisher claimed that the reason he terminated the executive was because he had issues with her management of the paper’s newsroom, and that this had previously been addressed with her at her yearly evaluation and in a face-to-face meeting. The staff memo assured employees that the Times was “fully committed to equal treatment of all its employees, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.”

Whether the fired staffer chooses to pursue any legal options remains to be seen. In cases of alleged workplace discrimination, Missouri employees should make notes of all incidents of discriminatory practices or instances of harassment. Note the date and time and names of all witnesses who were present to help substantiate your case.

Source: Huffington Post, “New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Says Jill Abramson’s Pay Not A Factor In Her Firing” Michael Calderone, May. 15, 2014