Ex-102.9 WMGK co-host settles sexual harassment lawsuit against John DeBella
Terms of the settlement, against the longtime radio host, were not disclosed.
A former 102.9 WMGK on-air personality has settled a lawsuit against longtime Philadelphia radio star John DeBella that alleged the host sexually harassed her during her time at the station.
Terms of the settlement were not announced. Jennifer Neill's lawyer, Caren Gurmankin, and DeBella's lawyer, Chad Flores, could not immediately be reached for comment.
Neill, who worked as a cohost on the John DeBella Show between 2010 and 2016, detailed about 30 instances of alleged harassment in the suit, which she filed in February. Among the various claims, Neill said DeBella requested sex from her, grabbed her breasts, and made inappropriate comments when she worked with him at WMGK.
According to the suit, DeBella described the alleged instances as "jokes" that were "mutual" between himself and Neill following an investigation into her claims by WMGK.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone dismissed Neill's suit with prejudice, according to court records. A notice indicates Beetlestone's decision was "pursuant to local rule 41.1(b)," a directive that allows judges to dismiss civil cases in the event that "issues between parties have been settled."
Known on the air as "Jen Posner," Neill joined WMGK in 2002 as a traffic reporter before becoming an on-air personality on the John DeBella Show in 2010. According to the suit, she faced "degrading sex-based harassment" at the station.
In 2016, the suit says, Neill filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, which prompted her to take a leave of absence during an investigation. Despite the investigation, Neill said in the suit, she was unaware of disciplinary action against DeBella.
The following year, in 2017, Neill left the station, claiming that she was "no long able to work with the defendants," which included parent company Beasley Media Group in addition to DeBella.
Beasley declined to comment on the case. However, when the suit was filed, the company released a statement indicating that it "prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer" that "takes such allegations very seriously."