The New York Times was sued by a Florida state pension fund on Wednesday, demanding access to internal records to investigate whether the newspaper has adhered to its own editorial standards in its coverage of Israel.
The State Board of Administration of Florida filed a 48-page petition in New York County Supreme Court on behalf of the Florida Retirement System Trust Fund, a Times shareholder. The filing seeks the company’s books and records and alleges that repeated publication of what the petitioners characterize as false or unsupported claims raises questions about the Times board’s oversight of its journalism.
The lawsuit also cites allegations from an anonymous former Times employee who said her repeated complaints about anti-Israel bias and antisemitism inside the newsroom were dismissed — claims the shareholders are now citing as grounds to examine the board’s oversight.
The former employee, who is Jewish and spent nearly a decade working on the Times’ video desk, said she raised concerns about the newspaper’s coverage and workplace culture at least 15 times between 2019 and her departure in March 2026, according to the petition.
The petition also states the employee said she brought her concerns to managers, the Times’ standards operation and human resources, and that an HR representative at one point suggested she might “go find a place whose values align with yours.”
The former employee, who was not identified in the lawsuit, told The Free Press she remained anonymous because of concerns for her family’s safety.
The Times did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on Wednesday’s lawsuit. The newspaper previously called the records demand that preceded the suit “a clear attempt to chill First Amendment-protected journalism,” adding that it would “respond more fully in due course.”
The lawsuit does not ask a court to determine whether the Times’ Israel coverage is biased. Instead, the Florida fund is seeking internal documents it says are necessary to investigate whether the company’s directors have adequately overseen the newspaper’s adherence to its stated journalistic standards.
The petition alleges that the Times’ handling of disputed reporting supports an inference that its journalistic standards have been “weaponized within the company to serve the personal agendas of unchecked editors.”
The Florida Retirement System Trust Fund holds shares in the New York Times Co. The State Board of Administration is represented in the case by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, the National Jewish Advocacy Center and other attorneys.
The National Center for Public Policy Research, a conservative shareholder organization, also joined the action, according to the petition.
