A reporter from the New York Times has lodged a complaint claiming that an editor made a “death threat” after being informed about a separate incident where the reporter allegedly threatened to “shoot” himself during a meeting with another editor, as per reports.
Heightened tensions have surfaced between seasoned business editor Ellen Pollock and reporter Rob Copeland, coinciding with the release of crucial articles concerning Harvard’s response to the Trump administration’s controversial requests related to anti-Semitism allegations, according to the Breaker Newsletter.
Copeland, who is recognized for authoring the award-winning work on Ray Dario and the notable revelations regarding Hedge Fund Bridgewater Associates, collaborated on the story with fellow reporters Maureen Farrell and Michael S. Schmidt.
In advance of the publication, Copeland was called into a meeting with Pollock and editor Michael Colcurry, as reported in the newsletter.
The article was seen as especially delicate within the newsroom, given Harvard’s connections to several staff members, including executive editor Joe Kahn.
Things escalated during the meeting when Pollock allegedly shouted at Copeland for not adhering to her directives, with sources mentioning that the heated exchange went on for a significant amount of time.
During this confrontation, Pollock reportedly made a startling remark, suggesting that she would “kill” Copeland, Colcurry, and herself if the Harvard piece exceeded 2,000 words.
Though there were rumors of gun-related threats tied to the meeting, the Breaker clarified that these claims were inaccurate.
People familiar with Pollock described her manner as “unorthodox” and suggested that her comments were intended as humor, albeit in an awkward way.
Nevertheless, Copeland found no humor in the remarks.
He quickly categorized the comment as a violation of HR policies and filed a formal complaint against Pollock.
Following the incident, Copeland was advised to take some time away from the paper to alleviate tensions, but he opted not to do so.
Pollock later issued an apology.
The article that was eventually published went beyond Pollock’s initial word limit, totaling 2,282 words.
This particular piece was published on April 22nd under the title “Harvard is welcome as a hero, so some donors still want to win it.” It involved several notable individuals, including Jared Kushner, Bill Ackman, Larry Summers, and Condoleezza Rice.
The Times has been contacted for further comment.
The newspaper responded to Breaker, stating, “We are committed to promoting a productive and supportive workplace and take all issues related to staff interactions seriously.”
