New York Times Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. on Saturday released a statement defending his decision to dismiss Executive Editor Jill Abramson and denying reports that she earned less than her male predecessor.

The statement was an attempt to rebut concerns that the Times treated Ms. Abramson differently because of her gender, both in dismissing her over her management style and before that. By expanding on Mr. Sulzberger’s dissatisfaction with Ms. Abramson, however, the effort might wind up escalating the dispute.

The Times reported last week that a settlement agreement between the paper and Ms. Abramson meant “neither side would go into detail about her firing.”