Ex-New York Times editor says staffers actually shamed him during meeting for liking Chick-fil-A. Notable voices back him up.



Adam Rubenstein penned a lengthy essay for the Atlantic this week titled "I Was a Heretic at the New York Times" — and in it the former opinion editor for the storied newspaper chronicled his pointed struggles as a conservative voice in the face of a tsunami of left-wing opposition on staff.

In many ways, Rubenstein's opening two paragraphs capture what many in conservative circles have grown to expect from the increasingly galvanized leftist media.

But in this case it was all about woke opposition to the author's — believe it or not — sandwich of choice:

On one of my first days at The New York Times, I went to an orientation with more than a dozen other new hires. We had to do an icebreaker: Pick a Starburst out of a jar and then answer a question. My Starburst was pink, I believe, and so I had to answer the pink prompt, which had me respond with my favorite sandwich. Russ & Daughters’ Super Heebster came to mind, but I figured mentioning a $19 sandwich wasn’t a great way to win new friends. So I blurted out, “The spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A,” and considered the ice broken.

The HR representative leading the orientation chided me: “We don’t do that here. They hate gay people.” People started snapping their fingers in acclamation. I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that Chick-fil-A was transgressive in liberal circles for its chairman’s opposition to gay marriage. “Not the politics, the chicken,” I quickly said, but it was too late. I sat down, ashamed.

Uh-oh

Leftists don't like getting called out for their dirty laundry, and it was no different once word spread about Rubenstein's opening anecdote.

Nikole Hannah-Jones — author of the heavily criticized New York Times magazine series "The 1619 Project" — offered a two-word retort to Rubenstein's Chick-fil-A shaming account:

Image source: X

Here's another:

Image source: X

Perhaps spurred on by Hobbes' question, journalist Jesse Singal indeed contacted the Atlantic to check on the veracity of Rubenstein's Chick-fil-A claim. Here's how the outlet responded:

— (@)

Bari Weiss — also a former NYT opinion editor who famously resigned in July 2020 after "constant bullying" from colleagues as she challenged the paper's leftism — backed up Rubenstein's words:

— (@)

Singal wasn't through, and he mocked Rubenstein's naysayers in a subsequent post:

— (@)

Singal also noted: "I am once again confused as to why journalists are comfortable loudly accusing others of lying rather than doing bare-basic reporting. This took me 10 minutes of work."

Statistics expert Nate Silver seemed to enjoy watching things play out: "I didn't weigh in on this based on fact the people who asserted without any pretext of evidence that claim was fabricated are such an All-Star team of professional bulls**tters that it seemed too good to be true, but it is nevertheless satisfying to see one's priors confirmed."

More fun:

Image source: X

What's more, the X posts by Hobbes and Jones got the infamous "readers added context" treatment: "The Atlantic has confirmed that they successfully verified this incident's occurrence, and three people have stepped forward to say that Adam Rubenstein told them the story five years ago, exactly as it was written in the Atlantic."

The New York Post in its story about Rubenstein's Chick-fil-A claims said Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha offered the following statement: “Our Opinion section’s commitment to publishing diverse views — including those that are unpopular, controversial or heterodox — is unwavering."

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Principal vows action after exam question lumps together KKK, Fox News, Florida, and Texas



A California high school principal is vowing to take action after a controversial exam question lumped together Fox News, Florida, Texas, and the KKK.

What happened?

Last week, a social science teacher at Whitney High School in Rocklin, California, administered a quiz that asked students to identify a "complete group of idiots," providing the answer choices of "KKK," "all of Florida," "Fox News," and "Texans."

An image of the question went viral on social media.

A teacher at Whitney High School in CA put this question on a quiz:pic.twitter.com/OLCTfvb1Ze

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1636363945

Students and parents said they believe the question meant to target and demean students who hold conservative political beliefs.

"I do believe that the intent of the questions on the test were to ridicule students who had conservative beliefs and make them feel bad for feeling that way," student Jessica Krissovich told KOVR-TV.

One anonymous parent who spoke with KTXL-TV said their child is taking a class with the teacher in question and explained anti-conservative bias is an ongoing problem with the teacher.

"The question on the test is really blatant obviously and that's out there," the parent told the news outlet. "This has been the first time it has been looked at of him crossing the line."

What did the school administration say?

Whitney High School principal Justin Cutts released a letter to parents promising disciplinary action against the teacher.

The letter said, in part:

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, a quiz was assigned to students by a social science teacher. However, students, families, and the Rocklin community have raised concerns about the class assignment. The Whitney High School Administration Team and the Rocklin Unified School District recognized and shares their concerns and is conducting a thorough investigation.

Whitney High and Rocklin United is committed to providing each student, family, and staff with a safe and welcoming environment. While personnel matters will remain confidential, appropriate disciplinary steps will be taken.

Anything else?

Alumni of Whitney High School are now circulating an online petition asking for the teacher to be fired.

"[The teacher] has polarized his classroom, by bringing in personal politics into the academic environment. He has worked to polarize his students, alienating his 'Conservative' students in what should be a politically neutral, safe space," the petition states.

"As an alumni of Whitney High School, I only want to see the best for the students, staff, and school as a whole. It frustrates me seeing someone in leadership abuse their power," the petition adds. "I do not wish any ill-will towards [the teacher] and his family, but actions like this should not be tolerated on campus."

So far, 214 people have signed the petition.

Star volleyball player — a conservative Christian — sues U of Oklahoma, claims coaches punished her for her views, violated her free speech rights



A star volleyball player and conservative Christian has filed a federal lawsuit against the University of Oklahoma, claiming coaches on the women's volleyball team punished her for her views, excluded her from the team, and violated her free speech rights.

What are the details?

Kylee McLaughlin — who was the team captain and a first team All-Big 12 player for the Sooners in 2018 and 2019, according to OU Daily — named head coach Lindsey Gray-Walton, assistant coach Kyle Walton, and the school in the suit for a minimum of $75,000 in damages for financial loss, humiliation, and mental anguish and suffering, KFOR-TV reported.

The suit said that during the COVID-19 pandemic and after the death of George Floyd, the team "emphasized discussions about white privilege and social justice rather than coaching volleyball," the station reported, adding that players were required to participate in discussions and watch a documentary on racism and slavery. OU Daily said it was the Netflix documentary "13th."

When Kyle asked McLaughlin for her opinion on the documentary, according to the suit, she replied that while slavery was wrong, the film was slanted "left" and was critical of then-President Donald Trump. When asked for more input, the suit says McLaughlin replied with commentary directly from the documentary — that black people were incarcerated at a higher rate than other racial groups despite representing a smaller overall percentage of the population.

Following that discussion, a teammate accused McLaughlin of racism in a social media post, the suit says.

'White privilege'

The suit adds that Gray-Walton in a 90-minute phone call "ordered" McLaughlin to remove a social media post that used a laughing clown emoji in regard to the University of Texas wanting to abolish its fight song, "The Eyes of Texas," due to its alleged racist content and history. In addition, Gray-Walton told McLaughlin she needed to identify the "white privilege" inside her, the suit says.

Days later, the suit says McLaughlin was called a "racist and a homophobe" during a Zoom meeting with incoming seniors, coaches, and a representative from the school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. And despite McLaughlin's attempt at an apology, he suit says it wasn't accepted since it lacked sufficient "feeling."

McLaughlin later called the University of Texas volleyball team to apologize for her "Eyes of Texas" post, the suit says.

'Ultimatum' allegedly issued

During another Zoom meeting with Gray-Walton and other OU staffers, the suit says McLaughlin "was told she did not fit the culture of the program, and they could not trust her based on comments she had made (according to teammates) in the past ..." — and she was given an "ultimatum."

The suit says she had three choices: 1) keep her scholarship, red shirt, practice only with the coach and not the team, and receive diversity training; 2) keep her scholarship and just be a student; 3) transfer to another college "with only two weeks left before volleyball started for fall semester."

After the meeting, the suit says McLaughlin cried for three days, could not sleep, and refused to eat. The suit added that McLaughlin initially choose to red shirt but then decided to try to transfer to UCLA, which was unsuccessful — and that a UCLA assistant coach is a friend and former assistant coach of Gray-Walton.

What's more, the suit says that after McLaughlin tested positive for COVID-19 last September and was quarantining in a hotel, Gray-Walton contacted one of McLaughlin's roommates and asked if she was "doing okay" living with McLaughlin and her other "conservative" roommate. The suit adds that Gray-Walton and other volleyball coaches later helped two of McLaughlin's roommates move out of the apartment they shared while McLaughlin was in class and without any notice.

In addition, the suit says McLaughlin was given a "growth plan" from the school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion that included training about unlearning "classism," "ableism," "trans and homosexual negativities," and "sexism." The suit also says McLaughlin was forced to take courses on diversity and identities and privilege and race — all designed to "condition" her to "be woke."

Soon she transferred to the University of Mississippi, the suit says.

Local lawyer appears to mock McLaughlin

KFOR's report on the controversy included an interview with Oklahoma City criminal defense lawyer Jacqui Ford, who seemed decidedly unsympathetic to McLaughlin.

"What I see is that her feelings are hurt, and she's filing a lawsuit because her feelings are hurt," Ford told the station in what one might characterize as a condescending tone.

Image source: KFOR-TV video screenshot

Interestingly, a profile on Ford published at the hight of last summer's rioting indicated she's a member of the "OKC Protestors Lawyers Coalition, to serve as legal representatives for peaceful protestors arrested in Oklahoma City while exercising their First Amendment rights to free assembly and free speech."

Ford also said in the KFOR interview that "when [McLaughlin is] creating a situation that is a hostile environment for some of her other teammates, then the coaches must act to the benefit of her team."

The attorney added to the station that "from what I can tell she hasn't suffered any damages. She was given options to remove herself from the situation, so she's not damaged. I think that's gonna be a huge obstacle for her and for her lawyers to overcome."

Anything else?

OU told the station it's aware of the suit but will not comment on pending litigation. KFOR also said it contacted McLaughlin's attorney for comment but hadn't received a response.

NYC editor who worked on conservative books amid sea of left-leaning colleagues allegedly shown the door over her politics



A New York City book editor who worked on a number of high-profile conservative titles — including "Triggered" by Donald Trump Jr. — recently was shown the door at Hachette Book Group, allegedly over her politics, the New York Times reported.

What are the details?

Kate Hartson, the 67-year-old editorial director of the publisher's conservative Center Street imprint made a "tidy profit for her employer," the Times said, adding that she grabbed manuscripts that most big-name publishers wouldn't touch. She also shepherded Corey Lewandowski's "Trump: America First: The President Succeeds Against All Odds" and titles by Fox News host Jeanine Pirro and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the paper added.

More from the Times:

But Hachette, like The New York Times and other media companies, has been torn in recent years between the politics of its staff and its historic commitment to publishing conservative speech. Its liberal proprietors, of course, always abhorred the conservative content while cashing the checks. At Hachette, this meant employees having their salaries paid by Donald Trump Jr. while objecting to publishing liberals who had fallen out of favor, like Woody Allen or J.K. Rowling.

Ms. Hartson's list was a somewhat more direct attack on her colleagues' politics. The last book she bought was the forthcoming "Woke Inc.: Inside Corporate America's Social Justice Scam," by Vivek Ramaswamy. And so last month, even as Ms. Hartson was riding high with the best-selling political book on Amazon, "Unmasked: Inside Antifa's Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy," Hachette fired her.

The official reasons for Ms. Hartson's termination, two people familiar with it said, were mundane. But she told associates that she believed she'd been fired for her politics. In a Zoom meeting with employees on Jan. 26, the chief executive of Hachette Book Group, Michael Pietsch, and Daisy Hutton, the executive who oversees Center Street, didn't mention Ms. Hartson. But they reassured employees that they had learned the lessons of the Capitol siege of Jan. 6: no hate speech, no incitement to violence, no false narratives. And they've separately made clear to both editors and agents that they're shifting back toward think tank conservatives, and away from fire-breathing politicians. (Ms. Hartson didn't respond to questions about her views and her firing.)

For his part, Ngo tweeted Tuesday that "Hartson was a great editor. I never knew her politics. She was only concerned with making sure my writing was accurate & professional."

"The conservative movement is in a state of flux, and the next few years will be a particularly rich time for conversation about the future of conservatism in America," the Nashville-based Hutton, whose background is primarily in Christian publishing, told the paper in an email. "Center Street will continue to publish thoughtful, provocative, lively and informative books that contribute meaningfully to the shaping of that conversation."

Growing trend?

We've already seen Simon & Schuster cancelling its book deal with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley last month over the Missouri Republican's "role" in events that led to rioting at the U.S. Capitol. Simon & Schuster also will stop publishing conservative figure Candace Owens, the Times said, citing two sources familiar with its plans.

However, Simon & Schuster announced earlier this month that one of its imprints will publish a memoir from Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, who recently acknowledged he's under federal investigation.

In addition, hundreds of American publishing industry professionals — editors, authors, agents, and others — signed a "letter of intent" demanding that publishing houses blacklist members of former President Donald Trump's administration.

More from the Times:

These tensions are, in part, about free speech. An older generation of publishing executives had long argued that they had a responsibility to publish voices they disagreed with as part of their function in a democracy. Thomas Spence, the president of the conservative publisher Regnery, said he regarded the shift by the Big Five (soon to be four, when Penguin Random House completes its acquisition of Simon & Schuster) as a "form of blacklisting." [...]

In the new media world, many publishing employees see their companies not as powerful gatekeepers but as workplaces and consider these political questions to be labor issues, not speech issues. They don't feel any obligation to help authors who they believe are hostile, in particular, to their ethnic or sexual identities. They're part of a trend across the publishing industry that became visible in 2017 when employees and writers pushed Simon & Schuster to cancel a book by the far-right writer Milo Yiannopoulos, said Dennis Johnson, a founder of the left-leaning publishing company Melville House. "The current state of politics, just like it's riven the country, is doing the same to publishing," he said.

You can read the rest of the Times' piece here.

NY Times writer who gained woke fame for blasting 'dumba** f***ing white people' targets 'dangerous' conservative reporter Andy Ngo



Readers of TheBlaze might remember Sarah Jeong, a New York Times editorial board member who made headlines in 2018 when the "paper of record" hired her despite Jeong's history of relentless social media attacks against — as she termed them — "dumbass f***ing white people."

Now what?

Well, Jeong is back in the news and endearing herself to woke hearts far and wide for going after conservative journalist Andy Ngo.

"NYT Reporter Warns Conservative Writer Andy Ngo is a ‘Real Threat’, Should Be Censored on Twitter" https://t.co/Dgi3cQPzTH
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1610454011.0

As you probably know by now, Ngo is an expert on the inner workings of Antifa and has written extensively about the physically violent, far-left insurrectionists who claim they're fascism fighters while wantonly practicing fascism at every turn. In fact, Ngo became one of Antifa's victims while he was reporting on it. Check out video of the militants ganging up on and brutally beating Ngo in June 2019.

Now while conservatives everywhere are getting canceled, banned, and accused in the wake of last week's U.S. Capitol siege, Jeong apparently saw a prime opportunity to go after Ngo, whom she called "dangerous" and a "very real threat" while touting a Twitter thread calling for the social media giant to ban him:

I know people at Twitter follow me. Please read this thread. The people who live in this city with me have long kno… https://t.co/3mhRTbMdY8
— sarah jeong (@sarah jeong)1610165757.0

"The only reason I have not brought up Andy Ngo in the past is that after the whole thing where people were sending me nonstop death threats and rape threats and the MAGA bomber threatened me on Twitter, I have a low appetite for scrapping with right wing provocateurs on Twitter," Jeong explained before adding that Ngo's "entire MO is to post your name, your mugshot, your place of work and tie you to 'radical Antifa' if you're arrested — even if while working as a journalist or legal observer — at a protest."

She also said that "Ngo is dangerous. The chilling effects of his intentional misframing and misreporting are well-known in this city. If he puts your face out there, people — dressed exactly like the people who stormed the Capitol — show up at your house."

How did folks react?

Given the shaky state of things on social media, you might want to check out the angry reactions to Jeong's attack on Ngo before they vanish forever:

  • "You are the racist, right?" one user asked. "I remember your tweets."
  • "Calling out Antifa violence is threatening?" another user wondered. "If you people didn't have double standards, you'd have none at all."
  • "Yes silence more people!!" another commenter said. "This is great. Hopefully we can get to a point where we only have voice of the state."
  • "You really out here trying to be the moral compass?" another user asked. "You wrote politically divisive, abusive, and racist tweets."
  • "She's okay with engaging in racism and troll-like behavior," another user noted. "Why on Earth is anyone still listening to @sarahjeong?"

Anything else?

Ngo also is dealing at the moment with Antifa making a valiant effort to bully Portland's famed Powell's Books into not selling his upcoming book on the leftist militants, aptly titled "Unmasked." Ye olde First Amendment can be pesky at times:

"STOP SELLING ANDY NGO'S BOOK""HELL NO, WE WON'T NGO"A crowd of #antifa have gathered outside @Powells bookstore… https://t.co/63xPZmhdyR
— Andy Ngô (@Andy Ngô)1610403874.0

While Powell's said it will keep Ngo's book on its website, the store noted it would not stock it on shelves or promote it.