A former New York Times opinion editor said he was shamed by colleagues in his office after he said he loved Chick-fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich, and a human resources manager said the fast food chain’s owners were “homosexual.” “I hate people,” he claimed.
Adam Rubenstein, a New York City journalist who was hired in 2019 to work in the opinion column as a research assistant to a columnist, reflected on his experience as a “maverick” at the Times. An essay he wrote for The Atlantic on Monday.
Rubenstein, who left the Times in 2021, said that during new employee orientation, he was asked to tell his new colleagues his favorite sandwich as part of an ice-breaking game.
“It’s a spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-fil-A,” he replied, saying the reaction made him feel like “I thought the ice had broken.”
“The human resources representative who led the orientation reprimanded me,” Rubenstein wrote, saying the human resources representative told him: They hate homosexuals. ”
Afterwards, he wrote, other Times staffers attending the orientation “started snapping their fingers and applauding.”
Rubenstein then tried to appease the crowd by saying, “It’s not about politics, it’s about chickens.”
“But it was too late. I sat down in shame,” he wrote.
Atlanta-based fast food chain Chick-fil-A says its CEO opposes same-sex marriage and its foundation donates millions of dollars to organizations that have also publicly opposed gay marriage. As a result, he was criticized by liberals.
Rubenstein, who described himself as someone with “a history of writing for center-right publications,” wrote that the Times only publishes conservatives who “tend to agree with the liberal line.” .
Rubenstein said working at the Times as a conservative was a “strange experience.”
He said the reason the Times deemed the Hunter Biden laptop story “unsubstantiated” was because “many of my colleagues were clearly concerned about giving credibility to this story.” wrote. [it] It could negatively impact Joe Biden and the Democratic Party’s electoral prospects. ”
Rubenstein also wrote that op-ed submissions from conservatives are “treated differently,” with “higher barriers to entry, more editorial steps, and greater involvement from upper management.”
Whenever a commentator posted an article on the editorial page, all editors saw it through an email distribution list and then met to discuss it.
“But many of my colleagues didn’t like their names attached to editorials that promoted conservative causes, and early and mid-level staff always opposed their publication,” Ruben said. Stein wrote.
“Our opinion department remains steadfast in its commitment to publishing a diverse range of opinions, including those that are unpopular, controversial, and heretical,” said New York Times spokesperson Daniel Rhodes Ha.
The Post has reached out to Chick-fil-A for comment.
In 2012, Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy said in multiple interviews that he did not support same-sex marriage. In a recent interview, Kathy, the son of Chick-fil-A’s founder, reiterated his personal beliefs, but said he treats all customers with respect. .
Following the death of George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis who died at the hands of a white police officer last year, a three-year-old video of Kathy polishing a black man’s shoes has resurfaced.
In 2017 and 2018, the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated $2.4 million to the Missouri-based Federation of Christian Athletes to support sports camps for underprivileged youth, and $165,000 to the Salvation Army to help children in need. I bought a Christmas present for.
The foundation also donated $6,000 to the Paul Anderson Youth Home. In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced it would no longer donate to these organizations. Chick-fil-A reported record revenue of $6.4 billion in 2022, compared to his $5.8 billion in 2021. This is an increase of 10.6%.
