Book publisher Simon and Schuster released a statement on Friday night about a recent $250,000 book deal for online harasser and alt-right poster boy Milo Yiannopoulos in which they defended themselves from criticism. "We do not and never have condoned discrimination or hate speech in any form," the statement began. "At Simon and Schuster we have always published books by a wide range of authors with greatly varying, and frequently controversial opinions, and appealing to many different audiences of readers." The statement ended with the company asserting that the viewpoints expressed in the books they publish do not reflect the company or its employees' viewpoints. After the deal was announced, numerous authors and publishers spoke out against the company for allowing Yiannopoulos to be published.
—Gideon Resnick
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