The Washington Post has cut ties with reporter Felicia Sonmez following a week of conflict at the storied paper, The Daily Beast reported. Sonmez became involved in a public spat with her colleagues after politics reporter Dave Weigel retweeted a joke stating that all women are either bipolar or bisexual.
“Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!” the national politics editor tweeted.
Weigel apologized, but the infighting had already begun. Reporter Jose Del Real criticized Somnez for embarrassing Weigel online. In the back and forth that ensued, Del Real was accused of focusing on Somnez’s dealings with Weigel and not the sexist tweet itself.
The Post formally chastised Weigel for his retweet and placed him on suspension. Executive Editor Sally Buzbee then released a memo asking her team to “treat each other with respect and kindness both in the newsroom and online.”
Hoping to “deescalate” the matter, Del Real said he deactivated his Twitter account, according to The Daily Beast report. But Somnez continued piling on. She also claimed that after speaking up, she was targeted with abusive posts on social media.
“Post employees have been pleading with management *for years* to take action to live up to their words when it comes to inclusivity, fairness and protecting their staff,” Sonmez tweeted Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, veteran reporter Lisa Rein, who covers the Biden administration, urged Sonmez on Twitter to “Please stop.”
Some Washington Post workers got into the mix by voicing support for the paper itself. Sonmez wasn’t without her supporters either when she alleged some of her colleagues were treated better than others and they tend to be better paid and white.
The New York Times reported Sonmez was emailed a letter informing her that her employment agreement was being terminated. That letter is said to have alleged she’s committed “insubordination” and violated paper’s “standards on workplace collegiality and inclusivity” by maligning colleagues.
Neither the Post nor Sonmez commented on The Daily Beast’s story.
