Longtime staff writer Jeffrey Toobin was fired by the New Yorker weeks after he was seen by colleagues exposing himself during a Zoom call.
A representative with the New Yorker confirmed to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that Toobin is “no longer affiliated with the company” after an investigation into an incident, during which insiders said Toobin accidentally left his Zoom call on while touching himself.
In a tweet following the news, Toobin confirmed his firing before noting how much he enjoyed his time with the magazine.
“I was fired today by @NewYorker after 27 years as a Staff Writer,” Toobin said. “I will always love the magazine, will miss my colleagues, and will look forward to reading their work.”
I was fired today by @NewYorker after 27 years as a Staff Writer. I will always love the magazine, will miss my colleagues, and will look forward to reading their work.
— Jeffrey Toobin (@JeffreyToobin) November 11, 2020
Toobin, who also works as CNN’s chief legal analyst, was originally suspended for the video, which he called an “embarrassing mistake.” Toobin added at the time that he didn’t realize he could be seen during the time that he exposed himself.
Two people who were on the call told Vice under the condition of anonymity that the Zoom call was an election simulation and that many of the outlet’s biggest talents watched in shock as Toobin could be seen touching himself.
In an email from Conde Nast, the New Yorker’s parent company, chief people officer Stan Duncan informed staff on Wednesday that the company was dedicated to “fostering an environment where everyone feels respected and upholds our standards of conduct.”
CNN has yet to announce its plans for Toobin but said at the time that it had granted the legal analyst some “time off” to deal with a personal issue.
