By Dominic Taylor-
The New York Times failed to fire its high-profile public health and Covid-19 reporter after he used racial slurs during a trip with high school students in 2019, the paper has confirmed.
Donald McNeil Jr, a 45-year veteran of the paper and its lead reporter on the coronavirus pandemic, was accused by a number of students of using the N-word during a Times-endorsed educational trip to Peru.
McNeil has worked for the paper since 1976, and is a science and health reporter. He multiple award winner for his reporting on infectious diseases, including his coverage of the Zika and Ebola outbreaks, along w the AIDS crisis and has served as a foreign correspondent reporting from Africa and Europe.
The Daily Beast reported that six students reported the renowned reporter for using racist and insulting language during an excursion arranged by the New York Times.
On Thursday the Times confirmed McNeil had used “racist language” during the trip in a statement issued to reporters.
The reporter is also on record saying he did not believe in the existence of white privilege and used stereotypes about Black teenagers, according to complaints filed to the paper, which were reported by the Daily Beast.
Six students or parents complained to the paper following the trip, which was part of the Times’s “student journeys” program, for which participation typically costs over $5,000.
One of the participants wrote: ”I expect immediate action on the actions taken by Donald, I am deeply disappointed about the New York Times because of the comments he made during our trip. I think firing him would even be appropriate,” one participant reportedly wrote.
“Not only did Donald say various racist comments on numerous occasions, but he was also disrespectful to many students during mealtimes and in other settings,” another wrote in their review.
“I would change the journalist. He was a racist,” a third person wrote. “He used the ‘N’ word, said horrible things about black teenagers, and said white supremacy doesn’t exist.”
“He wasn’t respectful during some of the traditional ceremonies we attended with indigenous healers/shamans,” yet another wrote. “He made students in the program feel uncomfortable with his remarks. I was really disappointed after hearing great things about his work.”
‘In 2019, Donald McNeil Jr. participated in a Student Journeys trip as an expert,’ The Times said in the statement. ‘We subsequently became aware of complaints by some of the students on the trip concerning certain statements Donald had made during the trip.
‘We conducted a thorough investigation and disciplined Donald for statements and language that had been inappropriate and inconsistent with our values.
‘We found he had used bad judgment by repeating a racist slur in the context of a conversation about racist language. In addition, we apologized to the students who had participated in the trip.’
McNeil, who has worked for the paper since 1976 and is a science and health reporter, declined to comment on the claims.
On Thursday the Times confirmed McNeil had used “racist language” during the trip in a statement issued to reporters.
“In 2019, Donald McNeil Jr participated in a Student Journeys as an expert,” the statement said. “We subsequently became aware of complaints by some of the students on the trip concerning certain statements Donald had made during the trip.
“We conducted a thorough investigation and disciplined Donald for statements and language that had been inappropriate and inconsistent with our values,” the statement continued. “We found he had used bad judgment by repeating a racist slur in the context of a conversation about racist language. In addition, we apologized to the students who had participated in the trip.”
The paper has not provided further details on how McNeil was disciplined.
The New York Times editor, Dean Baquet, emailed staff to inform them he was expected to fire the reporter when he first heard the complaints.
However, after the investigation the editor “concluded his remarks were offensive and that he showed extremely poor judgment, but that it did not appear to me that his intentions were hateful or malicious”.
His email continued: “I believe that in such cases people should be told they were wrong and given another chance. He was formally disciplined. He was not given a pass.”
The revelation was first reported in the Daily Beast