It is no secret that President-elect Donald Trump, the consummate newsmaker, is no fan of biased media outlets and dishonest reporters, and some journalists are gearing up for a tense next four years as he returns to the White House.

Where award-winning investigative reporter Rachel Yonkunas will be over the next four years is unclear, as she was just fired by local New York station News12 on Long Island, the Daily Mail reported.

Yonkunas, who insists the termination of her employment was baseless and unjustified, has responded with a lawsuit against the station and its parent company that alleges gender-based workplace discrimination against her and other women.

Abruptly fired

According to the Daily Mail, Yonkunas began working at News12 in 2022 as an investigative reporter and was nominated for three Emmys this year for her work, a prestigious award she previously won in 2016 while working at a local station in Pennsylvania.

She claims News12 wrongfully terminated her after she allegedly refused to accept a pay cut and demotion to the station's morning broadcast that was put forward by her superiors in an ultimatum to her in September and resulted in a discrimination lawsuit.

Yonkunas sued under New York's Human Rights Law, claiming unlawful discrimination based on gender and a breach of contract.

Allegations of discrimination

In that lawsuit filed against News12 and parent company Altice USA, Yonkunas alleged that she was a victim of gender-based discrimination, in that male colleagues received preferential treatment that was not afforded to her or other female colleagues, such as male reporters being given high-profile assignments plus the support of producers and photographers, and their stories receiving top priority during broadcasts, while she was routinely denied the same necessary support.

The fired reporter further alleged that despite previously receiving positive annual reviews, she was confronted in August with an "unjustified 'action plan'" for improvement that unreasonably increased her required weekly output but still denied her a full-time producer and assigned photographer.

Yonkunas further alleged that just a month later, she was given an ultimatum to accept a $10,000 cut to her salary and a demotion from investigative reporter to the station's morning broadcast team, which she was unwilling to accept and resulted in her sudden termination.

"Shocked, devastated and confused" by developments

In an exclusive interview with the New York Post, Yonkunas said, "I was shocked, devastated and confused. I couldn’t understand why they were putting me, a successful investigative reporter, in this position. I think they thought I would just accept it."

She said the demands for improved performance and increased output "came out of left field," and that the ultimatum and demotion "made me feel like I was not good enough to be there." She explained, "I was told I couldn’t return to the office until I made a decision [but] I was currently under a contract. I feared if I didn’t show up to work ... it would be considered insubordination."

"This was my dream job. I knew I wanted to plant roots here. This was it for me," Yonkunas told the Post, and added, "I investigate stories. The last thing I want to be is the story. 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."

Lawyers speak out and news station responds

"This case underscores the systemic gender-based discrimination that our client, Ms. Yonkunas, endured during her tenure at News12," one of Yonkunas' attorneys, Erik Bashian, told the Post, while another attorney, Matthew Blit, said what News12 did was "a calculated effort by the defendants to marginalize and ultimately force her out of her position."

The Post reported that Altice USA and News12 both confirmed awareness of the "entirely baseless" lawsuit but has not been formally served with the documents yet. The station said in a statement, "News12 prides itself on providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can thrive based on their skills, contributions, and merit," and added of the allegations, "We will defend against them vigorously."