By Oliver Darcy, CNN Business
(CNN) — The Washington Post was criticized on Monday for placing one of its reporters on administrative leave because of her tweets after Kobe Bryant’s death.
The reporter, Felicia Sonmez, faced a fierce backlash online after she — just hours after the news of the basketball legend’s death on Sunday — tweeted a link to a 2016 Daily Beast story that detailed a sexual assault allegation made against him in 2003.
Bryant had been accused of the sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman at a Colorado resort. The criminal charge was later dropped. Although Bryant stopped short of admitting guilt, he did acknowledge that while he viewed the encounter as consensual, his accuser did not. Bryant settled a civil suit with his accuser for an undisclosed amount of money.
After Sonmez’s initial tweet about the allegation against Bryant drew controversy, she defended it, writing that “any public figure is worth remembering in their totality,” according to screenshots included in an opinion piece for the Post by the paper’s media critic, Erik Wemple.
Sonmez later tweeted that she was receiving death threats, posting a screen shot of her inbox that displayed the messages she was receiving, including the senders’ names.
All the tweets were later deleted.
The New York Times reported Monday that before she was suspended, Sonmez received an email from Marty Baron, the Post’s executive editor. According to the Times, part of the email read: “A real lack of judgment to tweet this. Please stop. You’re hurting this institution by doing this.”
Tracy Grant, the Post’s managing editor, said in a statement on Monday that the tweets “displayed poor judgement that undermined the work of her colleagues.”
“National political reporter Felicia Sonmez was placed on administrative leave while The Post reviews whether tweets about the death of Kobe Bryant violated The Post newsroom’s social media policy,” Grant said.
The suspension of Sonmez generated its own controversy.
Notably, in his piece for The Post, Wemple called the suspension “misguided.”
Interviewed by Wemple, Sonmez said stayed in a hotel room Sunday night out of fear of her safety. She added that she had removed her tweets only because she had been ordered by Grant to do so.
According to Wemple, Grant said in an email to Sonmez that the paper’s concern with her initial tweet was that it didn’t “pertain” to her “coverage area.” Grant, according to Wemple, added that her “behavior on social media” was “making it harder for others to do their work as Washington Post journalists.”
But Wemple noted, “If journalists at The Post are prone to suspension for tweeting stories off their beats, the entire newsroom should be on administrative leave.”
Other journalists also strongly criticized the Post’s decision.
“News organizations should protect their journalists, not acquiesce to the mob when it comes for them. The Washington Post not only failed Felicia Sonmez, but set a dangerous precedent,” tweeted Olivia Nuzzi, the Washington correspondent for New York magazine.
“This is a horrifying way to treat your journalists,” tweeted Anushka Patil, a social strategy editor at the New York Times.
“Unconscionable,” tweeted Jake Offenhartz, a reporter for The Gothamist. “Not sure how the Post could’ve handled this worse.”
Sonmez was one of two people who accused Jonathan Kaiman, the former Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, of sexual misconduct in 2018. Following an investigation, Kaiman resigned, according to the New York Times, though he said the actions in question had been “mutually consensual.”
In a statement released on Monday, The Post Guild, which represents employees at the newspaper, said, “This is not the first time that The Post has sought to control how Felicia speaks on matters of sexual violence.”
“Felicia herself is a survivor of assault who bravely came forward with her story two years ago. When articles attacking her were published in other outlets, The Post did not release a statement in support of one of its respected political reporters,” The Post Guild noted. “Instead, management issued a warning letter against Felicia for violating The Post’s vague and inconsistently enforced social media guidelines.”
The Post Guild skewered The Post, saying the newspaper had “failed to offer a clear explanation of why she was placed on leave.”
“We are concerned by The Post’s unwillingness to be transparent about this issue, and alarmed by the implication that reporters will be penalized for talking about any topic not on their beat,” The Post Guild said.
A spokesperson for The Post did not provide comment on The Guild’s statement.
CNN Business’ Hadas Gold contributed reporting.
Kobe Bryant waves to fans after scoring 60 points in the final game of his career against the against the Utah Jazz. April 13, 2016. Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by David Crane/Southern California News Group)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) and Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) hug each other at the end of their NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. It was Bryant's last game at the Oracle Arena after announcing he'll retire at the end of the season. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors' Leandro Barbosa (19) defends against Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) in the first half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016. It was Bryant's last game at the Oracle Arena after announcing he'll retire at the end of the season. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Golden State Warriors' Klay Thompson (11) pressures the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) in the first half of an NBA game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) wipes away some sweat in the first quarter of their game against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. (Anda Chu/Bay Area News Group)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant slam dunks two of his 36 points against the Golden State Warriors during the fourth quarter of their NBA basketball game at Oracle Arena, Monday, March 25, 2013 in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won, 109-103. (D. Ross Cameron/Staff)
(Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry (30) shares words with Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) at the end of the game at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. Los Angeles defeated Golden State 118-115 in overtime. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Staff)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant reacts after fouling New Orleans Hornets' Trevor Ariza (not pictured) in the first quarter during game five of a NBA Western Conference First Round playoff basketball game in Los Angeles, on Tuesday, April 26, 2011. Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (24) looks to pass the ball after blocking a shot against the Boston Celtics in the second half of the opening game of the NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, June 3, 2010. The Lakers defeated the Celtics, 102-89. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/MCT)
Lakers Kobe Bryant celebrates as he was introduced to the 90 thousand plus fans during the victory rally for the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday June 17, 2009 in Los Angeles. Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
Lakers Kobe Bryant #24 scrambles for a loose ball in the fourth quarter during game two of the the Western Conference Semi final playoff's between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers May 7. 2008 at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Lakers beat the Jazz 120-110. (SGVN/Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/SXSports)
Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers in game three of the playoffs at Staples Center in Los Angeles April 26. 2007, Laker's Kobe Bryant ,24, pleas with a ref on a foul call in the 2nd quarter.
(SGVN Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/SXSports)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) drives past Toronto Raptors' Chris Bosh in the fourth quarter of thier NBA basketball game Sunday, Jan. 22, 2006, in Los Angeles. Bryant scored 81 points, the second-highest total in NBA history, and the Lakers beat the Raptors 122-104. (AP Photo/Matt A. Brown)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant reacts after hitting the winning basket with 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Lakers a 99-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Denver on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2005. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Los Angeles: Los Angeles Lakers vs Detroit Pistons in game two of the NBA Finals at the Staples Center in Los Angeles,Calif., June 8, 2004. Lakers Kobe Bryant ,8, gets the rebound in the first half.
(Pasadena Star-News Staff Photo Keith Birmingham/Sports)
Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, #8, goes up for a basket against the Golden State Warriors in the second period at the Oakland Arena in Oakland on Tuesday night, December 23, 2003. (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS / Nhat V. Meyer)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, goes up against San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan, right, and Bruce Bowen during the first quarter of the season opener Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2002, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Warrior Antawn Jamison (left) fouls laker Kobe Bryant as he moves to the hoop during their game at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena in Oakland, Calif. Tuesday, March 6, 2001.(ContraCostaTimes/DeanCoppola)
The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant (8) goes up against Portland Trail Blazers defenders Rasheed Wallace, right, and Bonzi Wells during the third quarter of Game 5 of their Western Conference final in Los Angeles, Tuesday, May 30, 2000. (AP Photo/Michael Caulfield)
ORG XMIT: SA102 Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant celebrates his team's 80-75 win over the San Antonio Spurs in the closing seconds in San Antonio, Monday, Feb 8, 1999. (AP Photo/The Express News, Kevin Geil)
PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS Kobe Bryant maneuvers around Minnesota's Stephon Marbury during the Lakers' 104-91 win. [980228 SP 6D 1] Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (8) drives against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Stephon Marbury in the second quarter in Minneapolis, Friday, Feb. 27, 1998. (AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt)
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant poses with his first place trophy after winning the NBA Slam Dunk Contest Saturday, Feb. 8, 1997, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Beth A. Keiser)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, drives past Dallas Mavericks guard Jimmy King during first half action of an exhibition game Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1996, in Fresno, Calif. (AP Photo/Fresno Bee, Hector Amezcua)
The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, yells to a teammate as Byron Scott watches second-half action at an exhibation game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday, Oct. 16, 1996, in Fresno, Calif. The Lakers won 90-80. (AP Photo/Thor Swift)
