The Washington Post suspended reporter David Weigel for one full month without pay in response to a post Weigel retweeted that was determined to be sexist by his superiors.
The original tweet came from YouTuber Cam Harless and read, “Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it’s polar or sexual.”
Weigel was called out publicly by a fellow Post employee, reporter Felicia Sonmez, who fired off a tweet saying it is “fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed.” She then personally contacted Weigel on the Slack app, according to CNN, asking, “I’m sorry but what is this?”
As other reporters became involved in the discussion, national editor Matea Gold had to intervene, writing, “I just want to assure all of you that The Post is committed to maintaining a respectful workplace for everyone. We do not tolerate demeaning language or actions.”
Kris Coratti, chief spokesperson for The Washington Post, would later issue a public statement, writing, “Editors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated.”
Weigel also issued a public apology, saying he “did not mean to cause any harm.”
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