New York Times editorial page director James Bennet resigned Sunday, the newspaper announced, following the newspaper’s decision to publish a controversial op-ed by Republican Sen. Tom Cotton (Ark.) that sparked backlash.

The Times said Bennet’s resignation is effective immediately. He had been in the position since May 2016.

Jim Dao, the deputy editorial page editor, is stepping off the masthead and will be reassigned to the newsroom, the Times said.

Katie Kingsbury, who joined the Times in 2017, will be named acting editorial page editor through the November election.

“The journalism of Times Opinion has never mattered more than in this time of crisis at home and around the world, and I’ve been honored to be part of it,” Bennet said in a statement. “I’m so proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to focus attention on injustice and threats to freedom and to enrich debate about the right path forward by bringing new voices and ideas to Times readers.”