Chicago radio host Eric Ferguson is leaving the popular morning program he led at WTMX-FM for 25 years following allegations of inappropriate behavior by female former colleagues.
Ferguson was sidelined from “Eric in the Morning” after the Tribune reported in late September that a former assistant producer, Cynthia DeNicolo, had sued him earlier in the year. DeNicolo’s lawsuit alleged he coerced sexual favors from her in 2004, then retaliated against her for years because she refused to resume the “unwelcome sexual relationship.”
More allegations followed from three other women who used to work at The Mix, including former co-host Melissa McGurren, who said in court filings that she left the show after Ferguson created an unbearably hostile work environment.
On Friday, a statement from Ferguson was circulated to station employees.
Chicago radio host Eric Ferguson in 2015. (Lee A. Litas / Pioneer Press)
“I feel that returning to the air at this time, in this environment, will be an unfair distraction to my colleagues, and the rest of the morning show members who work so hard,” Ferguson wrote.
“As a result, and after discussions with Hubbard leadership, we’ve decided it is best that I step away from the show. I’m energized to move forward and defend myself against claims made against me and the station, and look forward to seeing them through to their conclusion. I am confident that at the end of the day the courts will rule and the right outcome will prevail.”
A representative for Hubbard Radio Chicago, which owns and operates The Mix, did not respond to a Tribune request for comment Friday. The four women who have come forward allege management of 101.9-FM protected Ferguson because of the popularity of his show.
An attorney for Ferguson, 54, declined to comment. His lawyers previously denied DeNicolo’s allegations in a motion to dismiss her lawsuit. A judge is expected to rule on the motion by Dec. 23, court records show.
During Ferguson’s absence from the airwaves, show colleagues Nikki Chuminatto, Brian “Whip” Paruch and Violeta Podrumedic continued to broadcast “Eric in the Morning.” Ferguson said in his statement “it will be fun to listen to their success.”
Radio host Eric Ferguson works in the WTMX-FM studio with Melissa McGurren, center, and former co-host Kathy Hart in 2009. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)
Station management initially said Ferguson would be off the air through October. Ferguson, in his statement, said he has not decided what’s next. He said he’s taken time to focus on himself and his family and reflect on his career.
“The success we’ve enjoyed and the gratitude I feel is overwhelming. I would like to think what we achieved is unique and special in the history of Chicago radio,” Ferguson wrote.
An Elburn native, Ferguson joined The Mix in 1996 after stops that included Rock Island, Rockford and Denver. He told the Tribune in 2004 that it took him 10 years of “traversing the country doing morning shows in different size markets” before he was able to make it back to Chicago.
The Mix struck gold when it paired Ferguson with Kathy Hart. The former co-hosts of “Eric & Kathy” are widely considered the most successful morning radio team in Chicago history and, during a 21-year run, won radio’s biggest awards. The duo was inducted into the Museum of Broadcast Communications’ Radio Hall of Fame in 2016, and their faces were formerly plastered on billboards throughout the Chicago area.
Former WTMX staffer sues Eric Ferguson, alleging radio star coerced sexual favors ？
Less than a year after the Hall of Fame induction, Hart departed the adult-contemporary station without explanation. Ferguson’s rebranded show, “Eric in the Morning with Melissa & Whip,” increased the role of McGurren and Paruch and remained a ratings juggernaut.
McGurren left the show last December, saying at the time that the truth would come out eventually about her reasons.
DeNicolo was laid off from 101.9 in May 2020. In her lawsuit, filed a year later, she alleged Ferguson blocked raises and promotions before orchestrating her dismissal, in addition to her allegations of sexual misconduct.
Hubbard Radio Chicago said last month it “took steps immediately to investigate” DeNicolo’s allegations. “An internal investigation and an independent external investigation found no evidence to corroborate allegations of illegal workplace conduct,” Hubbard said in a statement.
Former Ferguson co-host McGurren breaks silence, alleges ‘unbearable’ work conditions ？
Days later, DeNicolo filed a $10 million defamation suit against her former employer regarding the public statement and included a court document from a former sales employee, Kristen Mori of Ohio, who alleged Ferguson groped her at WTMX’s Christmas party in full view of her husband and co-workers when she worked at the station in 2003.
McGurren was the next woman to go public with allegations against Ferguson, who she alleged demeaned, harassed and ridiculed her. She described him in court documents as “a serial abuser of women” and said management failed to respond, then forced her out when she demanded that the alleged harassment stop.
McGurren also has brought a defamation lawsuit against Hubbard in response to an email in which the company said it had “thoroughly investigated” her complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year and did “not agree with Melissa’s characterization of events.”
McGurren files defamation suit, alleging ‘sham investigation’ into misconduct complaints at WTMX ？
She alleged the statement portrayed her as “a liar” and an investigation “was never conducted or, at a minimum, was a sham investigation.” In her suit, McGurren included an affidavit from a former Mix colleague, Jennifer Ashrafi, who left the station in January 2020.
Ashrafi, who went by Jennifer Roberts on air and did not work directly with Ferguson, wrote that his “abusive behavior is open and known by all at The Mix.” Her declaration said she told management in her exit interview she was “disgusted” by the “misogyny, gender discrimination and hostile work environment that was pervasive” at the station.
tswartz@tribpub.com
cmgutowski@chicagotribune.com
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