Report: Chicago Radio Host Melissa McGurren Sues WTMX

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, October 15, 2021

Melissa McGurren

WUSN-FM (US99)/Chicago morning co-host Melissa McGurren has filed a defamation lawsuit against her former employer, crosstown Hubbard Radio, reports the Chicago Tribune. On Thursday, she alleged that WTMX-FM (The Mix) management perpetuated a culture of discrimination to protect cash cows such as its morning host Eric Ferguson "at any cost." She's seeking $10 million in damages.

According to the newspaper, the suit includes a declaration as an exhibit from another former employee, Jennifer Ashrafi, who said she left as the station's afternoon co-host in January, 2020 because she was so "disgusted" by the "misogyny, gender discrimination and hostile work environment that was pervasive" at the station.

The Tribune also reports that McGurren, who co-hosted "Eric in the Morning" on The Mix, described Ferguson in a December complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as a "serial abuser of women" who had subjected her to an "unbearable hostile work environment." McGurren alleged management did nothing about her concerns, then forced her out in December.

In the defamation suit filed Thursday, she said Hubbard did not perform an investigation or conducted "a sham investigation" into her allegations, and the company attacked her credibility and integrity with comments it made last week to staff.

Hubbard Radio/Chicago VP/Market Manager Jeff England said in a memo to employees on October 5 that the company "thoroughly investigated this matter previously. Suffice it to say that we do not agree with Melissa's characterization of events."

However, McGurren's suit states "Hubbard Radio's statement" that the company "thoroughly investigated" her allegations "is false." "A thorough investigation would have uncovered that Jennifer Ashrafi brought many of these same issues, that corroborate Melissa's 'characterization of events,' to England in January, 2020, months before Melissa filed her charge" with the EEOC.

Read the entire Chicago Tribune article here.