NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times accused a federal civil rights agency Friday of political retaliation and free speech infringement in a countersuit filed in response to a discrimination lawsuit the news organization faces on behalf of a white male employee who was rejected for a role awarded to a multiracial woman.In a court filing, the news organization said the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed the lawsuit in retaliation for its critical coverage of President Donald Trump’s administration, in particular a story reporting that EEOC staff are under pressure to bring in cases that fit with the government’s priorities, including discrimination claims by white men. In the countersuit filed in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, the Times said the EEOC “prematurely and abruptly” ended conciliation efforts and filed the lawsuit a week after the newspaper published its story. The Times said the lawsuit is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s first and fifth amendments.The lawsuit against the New York Times is a high-profile test of EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas’ mission to pursue corporate diversity and inclusion policies that she argues discriminate against white men and others. She has also opened an investigation into Nike for allegedly discriminating against white employees with policies aimed at diversifying its workforce.