An Emmy-winning investigative reporter alleges she was abruptly terminated from News12 Long Island after confronting her superiors about inadequate resources and airtime, while male colleagues received ample support, according to a lawsuit.
Rachel Yonkunas, who joined the local news network in 2022, was taken aback in September when her superiors demanded she accept a $10,000 pay cut to join the station’s morning broadcast. “I was shocked, devastated, and confused,” Yonkunas, 35, exclusively told The Post. “I couldn’t comprehend why they were placing me, a successful investigative reporter, in this situation. I believe they assumed I would simply acquiesce.”
This ultimatum followed Yonkunas’ observation that male peers were receiving more support from the station, including additional assistance on assignments. One male investigative reporter at News12 New Jersey “received the backing of producers and photographers,” and stories by male colleagues “were prioritized,” Yonkunas stated in her gender discrimination lawsuit against Altice USA, which owns News12 in the tri-state area.
In contrast, Yonkunas claimed her stories were pulled from broadcasts an hour before airing in favor of male coworkers. For months, she had no photographer to assist her, while a male sports anchor was “regularly prioritized” for such support, according to court documents that did not name the colleagues.
“High-profile assignments were consistently given to male reporters. For instance, despite Ms. Yonkunas’ significant contributions to the Gilgo Beach investigation, [the story was] assigned… to a male reporter, ignoring both her and her female colleague’s input,” she noted in court papers.
Yonkunas said her work had been consistently commended before she spoke out. After raising the issue of disparities, she was placed on a 30-day performance improvement plan and asked to do more. “It came out of nowhere,” said Yonkunas, who was nominated for four Emmys this year and won the prestigious award in 2016 while working for a network in Albany.
The University of Tampa-educated journalist said she met the goals set out in the performance improvement plan but was blindsided by the demand to step into a lower-paying role. Her bosses claimed they didn’t want Yonkunas to leave but “made me feel inadequate to be there,” she recalled. “I was told I couldn’t return to the office until I made a decision [but] I was under a contract. I feared if I didn’t show up to work… it would be considered insubordination.”
She was promptly terminated after showing up to work without agreeing to the lower-paying gig, Yonkunas said. “This was my dream job,” she said. “I knew I wanted to establish myself here. This was it for me.”
“This case highlights the systemic gender-based discrimination our client, Ms. Yonkunas, faced during her tenure at News 12,” said her attorney, Erik Bashian, while her other lawyer, Matthew Blit, called the network’s actions “a deliberate effort by the defendants to marginalize and ultimately force her out of her position.” Yonkunas, seeking unspecified damages, filed the lawsuit against Altice USA and News12 to aid others facing discrimination, she said. “I investigate stories. The last thing I want to be is the story,” she said. “And now I find I must stand up for what’s happening, to ensure this doesn’t happen to the other female reporters still working there.”
AlticeUSA stated it was aware of the complaint but had yet to be served the lawsuit. News12, which also has not been served with the court papers, vehemently denied the allegations of gender discrimination as “entirely baseless.” “News12 prides itself on providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can thrive based on their skills, contributions, and merit,” the station said in a statement, adding, “We will vigorously defend against these allegations.”
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