New York Public Radio WNYC-AM/FM (820/93.9) has settled a racial discrimination lawsuit brought by former host Jami Floyd. The two sides had been in talks as part of a court mediation program since June. While terms of the agreement were not made public, court documents make it clear that the station will pay Floyd, saying it has until Oct. 13 to “make the settlement payments.”
New York Public Radio earlier tried to have the case thrown out. But while Judge Andrew Carter dismissed Floyd’s hostile work environment claims in April, Carter allowed her racial discrimination claims and allegations of retaliation to go forward.
Floyd filed a lawsuit in February 2023 against her former employer, seeking lost wages and punitive damages for what she alleges has been the emotional pain and suffering from denying her promotions and paying her less than non-Black employees. Floyd said in the suit that she was paid $160,000 to $176,000 for hosting the “All Things Considered” local cut-ins for up to four hours a day, plus other duties and serving as the legal analyst supporting all of WNYC’s programming. But she said other employees working a support role for the mid-morning “Brian Lehrer Show” earned more.
In her complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Floyd alleged that NYPR violated state and federal employment laws, which led her to resign from her position in April 2022. During her time at WNYC, Floyd alleges she was “hazed” by a supervisor when she was not given “plum” assignments.
“This created a retaliatory hostile work environment for Floyd and was a continuing pattern and violation throughout her employment,” her suit alleged. That hit a boiling point in April 2022 when Floyd was accused of plagiarism in a story posted on the WNYC website and co-owned Gothamist news site. The accusations came after an internal review found portions of 45 articles she wrote between 2010 and 2021 lifted content from other sources without attribution. Some stories reportedly included entire paragraphs copied word-for-word from Wikipedia and other sources. Floyd ultimately resigned from the job.
New York Public Radio denied the claims in court filings, saying Floyd was “one of the highest paid when compared to hosts of analogous programs with similar skill requirements and responsibilities.” It has also pushed back against any alleged discrimination by pointing out that Floyd was given regular pay increases, promotions, and even the resources and support to create the station’s race and justice reporting desk.
Since her departure from WNYC, Floyd — who during her time at the station also served as Director of its Race & Justice unit — has launched a media company that is focusing on telling stories that champion Black excellence, in which women are the focus, and narratives that explore the LGBTQ+ experience.
The payout to Floyd couldn’t come at a worse time for New York Public Radio, which has faced a budget shortfall. The public broadcaster announced last month that it was further reducing its headcount and slashing programming across several properties after earlier cuts in August. NYPR said it is facing a $12 million projected budget deficit in 2024, with the latest round of cuts expected to save $6 million a year.
