Several Louisiana newspapers that are part of Gannett-owned USA Today’s network quietly deleted a published op-ed on transgender athletes from Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., without notifying him.
Communications reviewed by Fox News Digital showed the Republican was told his op-ed criticizing biological men playing women’s sports contained “inflammatory” speech that didn’t meet company standards.
Gannett Opinion Editor and Vice President of Standards and Ethics Michael McCarter stood by the decision to remove Kennedy’s piece.
“The opinion teams across the USA TODAY Network are focused on delivering local, timely, relevant, and diverse opinion pieces. We recognize the importance of sharing varying perspectives and the vital role we play convening conversations. Sen. John Kennedy’s submitted opinion column did not meet our ethical guidelines, which state we will treat people with respect. After further review, our editorial team removed the column from our website. Sen. Kennedy has been given the opportunity to revise his language – not his viewpoint – to adhere with our standards,” McCarter told Fox News Digital.
After Fox News Digital reached out seeking comment, Gannett added a disclaimer to the once-broken links noting the content “has been removed because it did not meet our editorial standards.”
Kennedy told Fox News Digital in a statement that “USA TODAY Network apparently does not like the way I express myself.”
