WFAN-AM host Joe Benigno has been "placed on leave in the wake of a civil lawsuit that accuses him of sexually harassing a former CBS Radio co-worker," according to Jim Baumbach of NEWSDAY. Benigno, the longtime co-host of the midday sports talk call-in show with Evan Roberts, "was due to return to work" today. He had "been on vacation" last week and "not on the air." Former CBS Radio sales exec Lauren Lockwood, who was fired in July '17, "accused CBS Radio in a lawsuit filed Tuesday of fostering an environment in which employees drank alcohol while working and said Benigno spoke with her regularly about inappropriate sexual topics." Lockwood's lawsuit seeks $5M in damages (NEWSDAY, 7/21). In N.Y., Bob Raissman noted some advertising execs "have already advised clients to yank their money from FAN." Others "are in a holding pattern." Commercials Benigno had previously recorded have "stopped running on WFAN" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/22). Also in N.Y., Phil Mushnick cited current and former WFAN employees as saying that the "claim or mere suggestion that FAN is 'a frat house' that allows sexually predatory atmosphere is wishful fantasy" (N.Y. POST, 7/22).
