An Emmy-winning investigative reporter has filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against News12 Long Island and its parent company Altice USA, claiming she was terminated after speaking out about unequal treatment compared to male colleagues.
Rachel Yonkunas, who joined the local news network in 2022, alleges she was fired in September after refusing to accept a $10,000 pay cut to join the station’s morning broadcast.
The 35-year-old journalist, who won an Emmy in 2016 while working in Albany, New York, and was nominated for four more this year, claims she faced systematic discrimination at the station. According to court documents, Yonkunas was repeatedly denied resources that were readily available to male reporters.
The lawsuit details specific instances of alleged discrimination. Yonkunas claims her stories were pulled from broadcasts an hour before airtime in favor of male colleagues’ work. While a male sports anchor received regular photography support, Yonkunas says she went months without such assistance.
The University of Tampa graduate also alleges she was sidelined from major stories, including the high-profile Gilgo Beach killings investigation, despite making significant contributions to the coverage. These assignments were instead given to male reporters, according to the court filing.
After raising concerns about these disparities, Yonkunas says she was placed on a 30-day performance improvement plan. Despite meeting the goals outlined in the plan, she was then presented with the ultimatum to accept a lower-paying position.
When she reported to work without accepting the pay cut, she was terminated.
Her attorneys, Erik Bashian and Matthew Blit say the network’s actions were a calculated effort to force her out of her job.
Altice USA acknowledged awareness of the complaint but stated they had not yet been served with the lawsuit. News12 denied the allegations, calling them “entirely baseless” and stating, “News12 prides itself on providing an inclusive and equitable workplace where employees can thrive based on their skills, contributions, and merit.”
“I investigate stories. The last thing I want to be is the story,” Yonkunas said. “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.”