The shareholders argue that The New York Times Company’s board has responsibilities beyond protecting the newspaper’s reputation and finances. They say directors must also properly oversee risks arising from the paper’s journalism, including allegations of inaccurate or misleading reporting.
According to the lawsuit, a former Times employee, who is Jewish, repeatedly raised concerns about what she regarded as antisemitism and anti-Israel bias within the newsroom.
The former employee alleged that she raised those concerns at least 15 times between 2019 and her departure in March 2026, including with managers, the standards desk and human resources.
She further alleged that her complaints were not adequately addressed.
Her account is being used by the shareholders as evidence for their wider claim that the Times failed to maintain appropriate editorial oversight.
The allegations come after a series of disputes over the newspaper’s coverage of Israel and the war in Gaza.
Earlier this year, shareholder NCPPR had already demanded access to internal records concerning a controversial May 2026 opinion column by Times columnist Nicholas Kristof about alleged sexual abuse of Palestinian detainees.
The controversy intensified after Israeli officials attacked the column and threatened legal action against the newspaper. More than 100 protesters also demonstrated outside the Times’ Manhattan headquarters demanding a retraction.
Last week, the newspaper removed a line from an article about an Israeli documentary after critics accused it of minimising the suffering caused by the October 7 attacks. The Times attributed the disputed wording to an “editing error”.
A separate recent analysis by Yale School of Management researchers has also criticised the Times’ coverage of the war. The study examined 1,599 articles published after October 7 and argued that Israeli casualties, hostages and Hamas’ role were insufficiently represented. The Times has rejected the findings as selective.
The newspaper has previously defended its journalism and rejected claims that its reporting is driven by an anti-Israel agenda.
NCPPR has described its campaign as an attempt to establish whether the Times board adequately dealt with legal, reputational and financial risks created by disputed journalism
The shareholders are asking for access to internal records which could show how the Times board and senior management dealt with complaints, corrections and potential reputational or legal risks.