Washington Post fires reporter in center of online battle

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Post has fired reporter Felicia Sonmez, who has triggered a vigorous online debate this past week over social media policy and public treatment of colleagues. In a copy of a termination letter, published on Mediaite, Sonmez was accused of insubordination and violating the Post’s standards on workplace collegiality and inclusivity. The outspoken political writer sued the Post last year for saying she could not cover issues involving sexual assault because she had been outspoken about her own experiences. The current episode began when Sonmez pointed out a since-suspended colleague’s retweet of an offensive joke, saying, “fantastic to work at a news outlet where retweets like this are allowed.’