NY Post and former editor Michelle Gotthelf settle discrimination case

The New York Post has settled a discrimination case brought by a former editor, who said she was sexually harassed and retaliated against by a former newspaper editor.

Managing editor Michelle Gotthelf was fired from her job as the Post’s senior digital editor in January and continued that month. In a joint statement on Tuesday, The Post and Ms Gotthelf said they had “amicably resolved” the lawsuit and it would be withdrawn against all parties.

Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

In her complaint, Ms Gotthelf said Colonel Allan, the Post’s editor for many years and a top lieutenant to Post owner Rupert Murdoch, harassed her and offered to have sex. Ms Gotthelf said she alerted company executives to Mr Allan’s behavior and then felt left out.

Mr Allan retired from the tabloid in 2016. After spending some time in his native Australia, he returned to the Post in 2019 as an adviser. He retired a second time in early 2021.

Ms Gotthelf also named current Post editor Keith Poole in her complaint and said he fired her without cause two months after she told him about her experiences with Mr Allan.

The lawsuit was settled after a month of discussions between Ms Gotthelf and the newspaper, a spokeswoman said.

In a statement on Tuesday, Ms Gotthelf said she was proud of her contributions to The Post. “The Post is in good hands with Keith Poole at the helm,” she said.

Mr Poole added in a statement that “Ms Gotthelf’s skills as an editor and journalist have been crucial in helping The Post grow to its current stature, and we wish her well in her future endeavours”.

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