A former sports reporter for the New York Post is suing the tabloid after being fired for posting what he says was a tweet critical of President Trump, NBC Sports’s ProFootballTalk reported Wednesday.
In the lawsuit, journalist Bart Hubbuch alleges that he tweeted the since-deleted criticism “on his own time, from his own computer, and from his own home,” and was told he could keep his job if he apologized. Hubbuch said he had done so, but was fired anyway.
In the tweet in question, Hubbuch called Trump’s election a “national tragedy,” and compared his victory to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
{mosads}“Not known for its sensitivity, the Post regularly exploits tragedy, violence and death to sell news,” the lawsuit alleges. “It also pushes the bounds of what is considered appropriate news coverage.”
Hubbuch is seeking monetary damages, as well as a return to his job.
The New York Post has developed a reputation as a punchy, often-controversial tabloid. Hubbuch also alleges in the lawsuit that he was fired because the newspaper’s owner, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, did not want to anger or upset Trump.
The suit further argues that the paper has a history of mocking and criticizing elected officials itself.
“In keeping with its tabloid style, the Post has sensationalized the actual or perceived fault of democratically elected leaders by running covers showing them dressed up like tyrants responsible for murder, torture and repression,” the lawsuit alleges.