Star N.Y. Times Reporter Suspended After Harassment Allegations

The Times is investigating the accusations against Glenn Thrush, one of its most high-profile reporters.

The New York Times has suspended star reporter Glenn Thrush while the newspaper investigates allegations of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching, first surfaced in a Vox.com story published Monday morning.

"The ?alleged ?behavior is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We intend to fully investigate and while we do, Glenn will be suspended. We support his decision to enter a substance abuse program. In the meantime, we will not be commenting further."

For the story, Vox editorial director Laura McGann spoke with 40 people about Thrush's conduct as a journalist, including during his stint at Politico. "Three young women I interviewed, including the young woman who met Thrush in June, described to me a range of similar experiences, from unwanted groping and kissing to wet kisses out of nowhere to hazy sexual encounters that played out under the influence of alcohol," she wrote. "Each woman described feeling differently about these experiences: scared, violated, ashamed, weirded out. I was — and am — angry."

Thrush, in responding to the allegations, told Vox that he stopped drinking in mid-June, "resumed counseling," and will be treated for alcoholism. "I am working hard to repair the damage I have done," he said.

As part of his statement, Thrush said: "I apologize to any woman who felt uncomfortable in my presence, and for any situation where I behaved inappropriately. Any behavior that makes a woman feel disrespected or uncomfortable is unacceptable."

In one anecdote described in the story, Thrush is accused of essentially gaslighting one of his former colleagues by telling their fellow employees that she, not he, had initiated an unwanted advance.

The author of the story, McGann, also said that Thrush touched her inappropriately five years ago. Thrush, she said, "caught me off guard, put his hand on my thigh, and suddenly started kissing me."

Thrush recently signed a deal with Random House to write a book about the Trump presidency with colleague Maggie Haberman. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the publisher to determine if the book will still be published.

He's also a contributor at MSNBC. A network spokesman provided THR the following statement on Thrush's status: "We’re awaiting the outcome of the Times’ investigation. He currently has no scheduled appearances.”

While Thrush has always been considered a prominent journalist, his stature has been elevated since he joined the Times and began covering the Trump presidency.