No, other people who describe it were clear that McNeil used the word in reference not as a pejorative. Even the NY Times' own coverage said that he did not use the word as an insult.
The most ridiculous line from the article, from the NY Times speaking about their review of the incident:
> "We found he had used bad judgment by repeating a racist slur in the context of a conversation about racist language."
If you can't speak a slur in the context of a conversation about racist language, when can you? In what possible conversation would it be more appropriate?
From an anonymous teenager. And even then this source only says "He used the `N` word" not that he actually called a Black person the word as a pejorative.
Here’s what one of the students who was there wrote
> “He used the ‘N’ word, said horrible things about black teenagers, and said white supremacy doesn’t exist.”
Perhaps that’s not what he meant but it’s what multiple people who were there heard.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/star-new-york-times-reporter-d...