WaPo Suspends David Weigel After Sexist Retweet Caused Public Spat

The Washington Post has suspended reporter David Weigel for one month without pay for retweeting a sexist joke, CNN reported on Monday.

Weigel retweeted a joke which read: “Every girl is bi. You just have to figure out if it’s polar or sexual.”

This did not sit well with fellow WaPo employee Felicia Sonmez (who claimed in a now-dismissed lawsuit that she faced job discrimination after going public with her claim to have been sexually assaulted).

Sonmez tweeted an image of Weigel’s retweet, saying “Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed!”

Fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed! pic.twitter.com/zs4dX4qprH

— Felicia Sonmez (@feliciasonmez) June 3, 2022

Weigel’s retweet drew a response from the Post‘s chief spokeswoman, Kristine Coratti Kelly, who said: “Editors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated.”

WaPo chief spox @kriscoratti issues statement on @daveweigel‘s retweet of a sexist joke, which he has since apologized for: “Editors have made clear to the staff that the tweet was reprehensible and demeaning language or actions like that will not be tolerated.”

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) June 3, 2022

Other journalists pounced: 

Will Dave receive an email from *his* boss that reads “Please stop. You’re hurting the institution by doing this,” like Felicia Sonmez did when she tweeted about credible rape allegations against a beloved athlete? https://t.co/fd3Jer3aZ3

— Stacey Burns (@WentRogue) June 3, 2022

Weigel removed the retweet and apologized, but it wasn’t enough to save him from 4 weeks of pay and the shame bell.

I just removed a retweet of an offensive joke. I apologize and did not mean to cause any harm.

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) June 3, 2022

One should prefer any job to being imprisoned inside a newsroom where older editors are petrified and terrorized by the prospect of bad faith bigotry/misogyny accusations being weaponized at any moment by unwell, vindictive millennials, and thus constantly indulge their neuroses.

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) June 6, 2022

Live by the woke sword, die by the woke sword. https://t.co/RjmNFy4EXy

— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) June 6, 2022

1. Demand apology
2. Receive apology
3. Reject apology pic.twitter.com/1OfiYSUee7

— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) June 6, 2022