An Emmy-awarded investigative reporter, Rachel Yonkunas, has lodged a gender discrimination lawsuit against News12 Long Island and its parent company, Altice USA. She alleges that she was dismissed after advocating against unequal treatment compared to her male counterparts.
Yonkunas began her journey with the local news network in 2022 and states that she was let go in September following her refusal to accept a $10,000 salary reduction to partake in the station’s morning show.
The 35-year-old Emmy recipient, who earned the prestigious award in 2016 while stationed in Albany, New York, and was nominated for four others this year, claims she was a victim of systematic discrimination at the channel. Court documents reveal that Yonkunas was regularly denied resources made readily accessible to her male colleagues.
The suit describes specific incidents of alleged discrimination. It is claimed that Yonkunas’ stories were removed from broadcasts an hour prior to airtime, favoring the work of male colleagues. Yonkunas alleges that while a male sports anchor regularly received photography assistance, she endured months without such support.
The graduate of the University of Tampa also asserts that she was kept away from major news stories, including the highly publicized Gilgo Beach killings investigation, even though she made significant contributions to the report. The suit states that these assignments were instead allocated to male reporters.
Yonkunas states that after voicing concerns about these discrepancies, she was put on a 30-day performance improvement plan. Despite achieving the objectives outlined in the plan, she was then given an ultimatum to accept a lower-paying role.
Upon reporting to work without agreeing to the salary reduction, she was dismissed. Her lawyers, Erik Bashian and Matthew Blit, argue that the network’s actions were a deliberate attempt to push her out of her position.
Altice USA confirmed its knowledge of the complaint but noted that they had not yet been served the lawsuit. News12 rejected the allegations, labeling them as “entirely baseless” and stating, “News12 prides itself on providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can thrive based on their skills, contributions, and merit.”
“I investigate stories. The last thing I want to be is the story,” Yonkunas said. “And now I find I have to stand up for what’s happening, to make sure this doesn’t happen to the other female reporters still working there.”