Washington Times Denies Discrimination Accusation

By Natalie Neumann

The Washington Times is denying a religious discrimination claim by the paper's former opinion editor.

Richard Miniter filed a complaint Tuesday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Miniter says he was coerced into attending a Unification Church event that included a mass wedding. And he says the Times investigated him after he joked about the church to a co-worker.

The Times was founded by the leader of the Unification Church, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, in 1982.

In a note to readers in today's edition, the Times' acting president and publisher Jonathan Slevin says the paper doesn't discriminate.

Referring to a recent management shake-up that involved the ousting of three top executives and the resignation of the executive editor, Slevin said there would likely be further changes but said the Times will continue to provide "spirited reporting" and "a robust alternative voice."

Slevin assumed his current role last week in the wake of the shake-up.