The New York Times said Wednesday that one of its most prominent political reporters would not be sacked but removed from the White House beat after being suspended for alleged sexual misconduct.
Senior White House correspondent Glenn Thrush was suspended by the newspaper without pay last month after the website Vox accused him of acting inappropriately toward young women while in a previous reporting job at Politico.
"While we believe that Glenn has acted offensively, we have decided that he does not deserve to be fired. Instead, we have suspended him for two months and removed him from the White House beat," executive editor Dean Baquet said.
The newspaper said 50-year-old Thrush would "receive training designed to improve his workplace conduct" and be reinstated on a new beat upon his return in late January.
Thrush was suspended by The New York Times without pay last month after the website Vox accused him of acting inappropriately. Source: Getty Images
The decision follows an internal investigation into Thrush's behaviour.
"We found that Glenn has behaved in ways that we do not condone," Mr Baquet said.
Thrush is also undergoing counselling and substance abuse rehabilitation on his own.
Wednesday's announcement came after morning television news anchors Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose were sacked for alleged sexual misconduct in the firestorm of harassment accusations that have toppled senior men from Hollywood to politics to entertainment.
"We understand that our colleagues and the public at large are grappling with what constitutes sexually offensive behaviour in the workplace," Mr Baquet said.
"It is an important debate with far-reaching consequences that we helped spark with our journalism and that we've been reflecting on internally as well.
"Each case has to be evaluated based on individual circumstances. We believe this is an appropriate response to Glenn's situation.
"The Times is committed not only to our leading coverage of this issue but also to ensuring that we provide a working environment where all of our colleagues feel respected, safe and supported."
Thrush was hired by the Times in January as one of six reporters covering the White House and President Donald Trump full time for the newspaper.
He has also been writing a book about Trump with another Times colleague, Maggie Haberman.
The Times has been a leading news outlet in reporting sexual harassment allegations made against high-profile figures, including disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Most notably the newspaper published op-eds from actresses Salma Hayek and Lupita Nyong'o.
Both Hayek and Nyong'o accused Weinstein of harassing them.
