Former CBS Radio AE Lauren Lockwood Sues WFAN for $5M

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, July 19, 2018

WFAN

Former CBS Radio account executive Lauren Lockwood, who worked at WFAN/New York from 2006 until July, 2017, has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the Sports outlet, reports the New York Post. According to the suit, the former CBS Radio outlet (now owned by Entercom) was run like a frat house, with drinking by employees starting as early as 10am and executives condoning buying prostitutes for ad clients. The suit claims a hostile work environment that subjected her to sexual harassment.

On various occasions, the Post reports, WFAN host Joe Benigno pressured her into having a threesome, the lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn state court, claims. Benigno "whispered in [Lockwood's] ear about having 'threesomes' with him and his wife and prostitutes." Benigno also allegedly showed Lockwood a nude photo of his wife with a prostitute and propositioned her to join him, his wife and a prostitute, according to the complaint.

Benigno was also accused in the 39-page suit of ranking women in the office on the basis of their looks -- and carrying on an affair with a female subordinate for roughly two years. Lockwood claims that her career was short-circuited after she rebuffed Benigno's advances and that she endured a "Mad Men"-like environment where male executives' affairs with subordinates were tolerated.

The suit, which seeks $5 million in damages, names as defendants CBS Radio, Benigno, Argaman and Mark Zukerman, a second ad sales executive, as well as other unidentified employees, reports the Post. In addition, CBS Radio executives also "knew and permitted the practice of taking prospective clients to strip clubs, especially during Yankee spring training trips," according to the complaint.

A spokesperson for Entercom told the Post that the company does not comment on pending litigation.