Glenn Thrush to return to NY Times after sexual harassment allegations

New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush, who was suspended from the paper last month amid an internal investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against him, will be allowed to resume work in January. 

Thrush will no longer cover the White House and will remain suspended for two months, the paper said Wednesday. He will receive “training designed to improve his workplace conduct.”

Thrush was suspended on Nov. 20 after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior. The newspaper launched an investigation into his conduct after it learned that Vox planned to publish a story detailing the allegations.

“Each case has to be evaluated based on individual circumstances,” The New York Times’s executive editor Dean Baquet wrote in a memo circulated Wednesday. “We believe this is an appropriate response to Glenn’s situation.”

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Baquet said that the investigation found that Thrush behaved “offensively,” but that he did not deserve to be fired. The memo also notes that Thrush is currently undergoing counseling and substance abuse rehabilitation on his own.

The memo was sent to the newspaper’s staff on Wednesday.

Thrush, 50, was hired in January from Politico to cover the Trump administration.

Several women last month accused Thrush of unwanted groping and kissing, in a story published by Vox. The alleged incidents took place while Thrush was working for both Politico and The New York Times.

“The behavior attributed to Glenn in this Vox story is very concerning and not in keeping with the standards and values of The New York Times,” Eileen Murphy, the newspaper’s senior vice president of communications, said in November, announcing the suspension.

“I apologize to any woman who felt uncomfortable in my presence, and for any situation where I behaved inappropriately,” Thrush said in a statement to Vox in November. “Any behavior that makes a woman feel disrespected or uncomfortable is unacceptable.”

Thrush is also an MSNBC contributor who signed with the network in May.

“We’re awaiting the outcome of the Times’ investigation. He currently has no scheduled appearances,” MSNBC said in a statement on Nov. 20.

The allegations against Thrush come amid a wave of sexual misconduct allegations made against powerful men in various industries.

“We understand that our colleagues and the public at large are grappling with what constitutes sexually offensive behavior in the workplace and what consequences are appropriate,” Baquet noted in the memo. 

Senior political analyst Mark Halperin was fired by NBC in October after allegations surfaced about misconduct that occurred during his time at ABC.

Longtime NBC News “Today” show co-host Matt Lauer was also fired in late November after allegations of sexual harassment came to light following a network investigation.

The Hill has reached out to MSNBC for comment.