Former NYT Editor Says He Was Shamed by Paper’s Staff for Liking Chick-Fil-A

This week, former conservative New York Times Opinion (Left bias) editor Alex Rubenstein alleged in an op-ed published in The Atlantic (Left bias) that he was shamed by the paper’s staff for saying he liked Chick-Fil-A, drawing media perspectives.

The Details: Rubenstein said he was at an orientation session when he was asked his favorite sandwich as part of a team-building exercise. Claiming he wanted to be relatable, he suggested Chick-Fil-A’s spicy chicken sandwich. Rubenstein said the HR representative leading the orientation told him, “We don’t do that here. They hate gay people,” which was met by applause from his coworkers.

For Context: Rubenstein oversaw the publishing of the infamous June 2020 Tom Cotton op-ed which suggested the federal government should use military force to quell the George Floyd riots. The piece caused a lot of discontent among the Times’ staff at the time. Chick-Fil-A has long been seen as an organization whose leadership has conservative values and anti-LGBT sentiments.

Debunked Accusations?: Several liberal journalists, including Nikole Hannah Jones of the Times accused Rubenstein of fabricating the story. A spokesperson for The Atlantic defended Rubenstein’s claim, saying The Atlantic confirmed the story’s authenticity with Times staff members. Erik Wemple of The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) reported that several of Rubenstein’s colleagues at the Times verified his claim as factually accurate.

How The Media Covered It: The story was widely and almost exclusively covered by outlets on the right.