Former leaders of the ACLU of Florida have written a letter to the editor of The Palm Beach Post calling the firing of its editorial page editor “shameful and dangerous.”
But in a widely circulated email, West Palm Beach attorney Louis Silber said last week that the newspaper declined to publish the letter.
The firing of Tony Doris comes as an independent press is under pressure from governments, legal challenges and shrinking public trust.
Silber wrote in his email that The Post and owner Gannett media company “displayed a lack of courage by not standing up for one of its journalists, and then censoring a letter that disclosed this shameful conduct.”
Gannett terminated Doris in February after he approved publication of a syndicated cartoon condemned as antisemitic.
The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County took out a full-page ad in The Post saying the cartoon spread dangerous antisemitic tropes, including the false and inflammatory accusation of bloodlust — a modern-day ‘blood libel’ used for centuries to incite hatred and violence against Jews.”
READ MORE: After running a cartoon on the war in the Gaza Strip, Palm Beach Post editor is fired
The group’s local leadership met with Gannett executives to express their concerns.
Doris, 68, had been editorial page editor since April 2021. He told Stet News he viewed the cartoon by Jeff Danziger of Counterpoint Media, which appeared on Jan. 26, as anti-Israel but not antisemitic.
The letter writers agreed. Silber and his colleagues wrote, “The so-called reasoning for Mr. Doris’ termination was the implication the cartoon was antisemitic. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH."
“The Israel/Gaza war is unquestionably divisive. However, censorship of one’s views, intimidation and the termination of a journalist will do nothing to eliminate antisemitism,” they wrote.
The letter is signed by Silber past co-chair of two Anti-Defamation League events; James Green, past president of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida; retired state Executive Director Howard Simon, a recipient of the ADL jurisprudence award; and retired Palm Beach County Circuit and appellate Judge Fred Hazouri.
The Post cited a policy against publishing letters about “internal policies” and “personnel decisions,” Silber wrote.
When reached Monday, Rick Christie, statewide opinion editor for Gannett and interim Palm Beach Post editorial page editor, declined to comment.
Doris told Stet News that he’s received support from across the country.
“The decision speaks so sadly of what is happening in newspapers today,” he said. “If they are pulling punches on this? What do they pull their punches on next?”
Read the letter to the editor here.
Stet co-founders Carolyn DiPaolo and Joel Engelhardt are former staff members of The Palm Beach Post.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
