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Hubbard Radios statement that the company thoroughly investigated McGurrens allegations is false, according to McGurrens suit. In her defamation suit, McGurren, who worked for 22 years at WTMX, claimed Hubbard did not perform an investigation or conducted a sham investigation of her earlier harassment allegations against Ferguson and that Hubbard attacked her credibility and integrity with comments it made to staff about her allegations. England's October 5 email prompted McGurren to sue for defamation, alleging that his statement falsely branded her a liar by attacking her credibility and integrity. A defamation claim by former Ferguson co-host Melissa McGurren was dismissed earlier this year. McGurren called Ferguson a serial abuser of women, station management pulled Ferguson off the air, a separate $10 million defamation lawsuit against Hubbard Radio. She loves that they listen to her, that they reach out to her, and that they want to connect with her through their own stories. Im honored to wake up with this city every morning, and I cannot wait to have a ton of fun in the process.. Eric in the Morning assistant producer Cynthia DeNicolowho also occasionally worked as a babysitter for Ferguson and his then-wifealso has sued the station, claiming Ferguson used his star power to coerce her into sex acts when she first began working for the station, and, for years after she began refusing his come-ons, taunted her in front of co-workers. Shes a radio host, and she has a huge fan base. I cant believe Justin Fields and I are moving to Chicago at the same time, especially considering he throws a much tighter spiral than me, Huff was quoted as saying. I love Chicago and country music and Ive never been more confident in an opportunity or my team. Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. "The Mix is sad to announce that after 22 years with the station, Melissa McGurren was offered a contract extension which much to our surprise she declined," the statement said. Terms of her multiyear deal, negotiated by attorney Steve Mandell, were not disclosed. Not so, Valderrama wrote in his 20-page opinion and order. It is humiliating to watch and dehumanizing to know that nothing can be done because the management at The Mix approved Fergusons misconduct by their silence in not reprimanding him., Ashrafis filing continued: This is one of many examples of microaggressions and suggestive comments women at The Mix are expected to endure (in addition to being underpaid and marginalized). You can find a comprehensive archive of his material here. She does not have COVID-19, nor does she have any other health conditions. Melissa McGurren, who spent 22 years with WTMX-101.9-FM and co-hosted the Eric in the Morning with Ferguson, in 2020 filed suit against WTMX owner Hubbard Radio Chicago, claiming an email sent to her former coworkers implied she was lying about alleged abusive behavior by Ferguson. While not claiming that Ferguson abused her specifically, Ashrafi said the disgraced morning host was rude and dismissive to women., His abusive behavior is open and known by all at The Mix, she said. Melissa McGurren co-hosted Eric Ferguson's morning show at WTMX-FM 101.9 before leaving the Chicago radio station in December 2020. McGurren said she quit the station in 2020 after years of complaining about Fergusons on- and off-air behavior, claims she said were ignored by station executives who sought to protect the popular host. She released a video to her own Facebook account that says shes sorry for her absence and that shes all right. The rest of the station's lineup remains intact, with New York-based Katie Neal from noon to 3 p.m., Scotty Kay from 3 to 7 p.m. and Detroit-based Rob Stone and Holly Hutton from 7 p.m. to midnight. A second female former employee of WTMX-FM has come forward to say longtime on-air host Eric Ferguson engaged in sexually inappropriate conduct, alleging in a Thursday court filing that he groped. She's been with WTMX 101.9 The. She is a mother. I really truly am. Her coworker, Whip, calls her the secret weapon on their show. By. McGurren comes from Hubbard Broadcasting crosstown hot AC "101.9 FM The Mix" WTMX, where she spent more than two decades, first as a traffic reporter then as co-host of "Eric in the Morning." Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. "Drew [Walker] returns to late mornings and middays and will continue to bring the energy and companionship country listeners have grown to love to get them through their day. It's hard to choose, they all sound so great. McGurren and her agent, attorney Steve Mandell, declined requests for comment. Huff, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, and self-described country music fan, is a graduate of the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. 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. In court filings, McGurren said Ferguson demeaned, harassed and ridiculed her when they worked together. decision dismissing McGurrens defamation claim, Column: For the Chicago Blackhawks remodel to work, their new house had better be built on a strong foundation, Merrillville food and beverage tax edging closer to reality, Remains found in Rockdale more than 25 years ago identified as Aurora woman, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Radio host Eric Ferguson works in the WTMX-FM studio with Melissa McGurren, center, and former co-host Kathy Hart in 2009. . Shes always wanted to be in the business, and she always wanted to do things like this that she loves so much. "I wish I could fully express my gratitude and happiness about joining the US99 team," McGurren said in a statement. Guzman also provided McGurren with a window of time to amend her complaint and gave Hubbard 14 days to respond to her amended filing. The announcement, made Thursday, comes months after McGurren mysteriously left her morning. I know this is exactly where Im supposed to be, and I couldnt be happier to make this new move in my career.. How would you rate this article? 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I wish I could fully express my gratitude and happiness about joining the US99 team, McGurren said in a statement. Its an adjustment to have to talk about your life to so many people, but she loves that it allows her to connect to those around her. Tell us what's wrong with this post? "We're incredibly excited to be growing our US99 family and making mornings . While so many people tend to move to Chicago from far away, she is not one of those people. Shes dating someone right now, and apparently, his name is Jim. Melissa McGurren Drops Attempt To Revive Her Defamation Case Against Hubbard. Her new role will make them direct competitors. Ferguson stepped down as host of the popular show in October, amid outcry over McGurrens allegations and claims of sexual assault and workplace harassment made by other female employees of The Mix.. Thanks for reading! "I love Chicago and country music and I've never been more confident in an opportunity or my team. -. Representatives for Hubbard and Ferguson did not respond to requests for comment. In the midst of her absence, some of her fans have even taken the time to post on social media that the show is no longer any good without her. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission was an opinion and therefore did not constitute defamation. McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to co-host of Eric Ferguson's morning show at The Mix, has been off the air since she and the station parted company late last year. A onetime producer of "The Jim Rome Show" for CBS Sports Radio, he owns and operatesKorkedBats.com,a comedy sports blog. Drew Walker, an 18-year veteran of US99 who most recently has been hosting mornings, returns to middays from 9 a.m. to noon. DeNicolo also sued Ferguson, claiming he abused his power to coerce sexual favors from her early in her career and then prevented her from advancing after she rebuffed efforts to restart an unwanted sexual relationship.. Melissa McGurren, former morning co-host on WTMX 101.9-FM, worked at the Hubbard Radio Chicago station that's more popularly known as The Mix for more than two decades before leaving in 2020. Lefty reliever Brandon Hughes also has been on a later game schedule after a heavy workload last season. CHICAGO An Illinois District Court judge on Friday dismissed a $10 million defamation lawsuit by former Chicago radio host Melissa McGurren, who had filed suit against her former employer in connection with sexual harassment allegations against her former co-host on The Mix, Eric Ferguson. WTMX afternoon host Chris Petlak succeeded Ferguson as host of the morning show on The Mix in January. For the second time, a federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit related to the way Hubbard Radio Chicago handled misconduct allegations against onetime star host Eric Ferguson. His ruling included three reasons why he was accepting the motion to dismiss by Hubbard. WTMX disc jockey Eric Ferguson speaks to Kaneland Middle School students in 2005. He calls her the secret weapon, and continues with, theres something unique about her, something super appealing, that is so central to the show, and hes not wrong according to fans. It just brings alertness and focus to the game., White Sox notebook: Benintendi, Anderson, Alberto, Saturdays win. 10 Things You Didnt Know about The Sticklers, Luann de Lesseps Accuses Russell Simmons of Groping Her, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Mariana Jasel, 10 Things You Didnt Know About Leo Sheng, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Lele Pons, Being a Movie Superhero Doesnt Always Mean Your Kids Will Like It, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Rila Fukushima, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Asya Branch, 10 Things You Didnt Know about Tricia Ana, Guy Builds Insane Star Trek Man Cave Theater, This Clever Never-Ending LEGO Climber Automaton. Melissa McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to full-fledged co-host of Eric Fergusons top-rated morning show, is out after more than two decades at WTMX 101.9-FM. Melissa McGurren, who was a mainstay of Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary WTMX 101.9-FM for 22 years, has been hired by Audacy country WUSN 99.5-FM to lead a brand-new morning show. A statement released by the company alludes to a contract extension offer it says McGurren turned down, but it provided no other details. She did promise her followers back in October that she would reveal him sooner or later, but shes yet to do so. Guzman again, disagreed, saying that the statement was an opinion based on its position rather than a statement of facts. Facebook gives people the. McGurren, who claimed the company defamed her when it responded to her harassment charges against former Mix co-host Eric Ferguson, filed an amended appeal July 29 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh District. She claimed Hubbard falsely branded her as a liar in a staff memo after she reported Ferguson for [] Jeff England, vice president and market manager at Hubbard Radio Chicago, was quoted as saying: Our plans for the future of Eric in the Morning definitely included Melissa. She is expected to be paid through the end of the year, when her contract expires. She became a stay-at-home mom and writer with her own blog. She described him as a serial abuser of women and said management failed to respond and then forced her out when she demanded that the alleged harassment stop. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. In court documents filed Oct. 5, McGurren called Ferguson a serial abuser of women and claimed that station management for years has protected Ferguson in allowing him to continue in perpetrating his misconduct that goes far beyond the limits of decency despite ample notice from me and many of my co-workers that Fergusons behavior is unlawful. McGurren went on to say that the long-running morning host has grossly abused his power, and his conduct was the major reason the station became a hostile working environment., Her accusations were submitted as supporting evidence in an amended defamation lawsuit brought by former WTMX Associate Producer Cynthia DeNicolo against Hubbard. Terms of her multiyear deal, negotiated by attorney Steve Mandell, were not disclosed. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. She has excellent taste. Join Facebook to connect with Melissa McGurren and others you may know. McGurren claimed in her filing that the station's management protected Ferguson for years by allowing him to "perpetuate his misconduct that goes far beyond the limits of decency." Fans have been worried. The arbitrator in McGurrens EEOC case ruled in Hubbards favor earlier this year. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. oh and REINVENTION. :). The Audacy station is pairing up Melissa McGurren and Austin Huff to host morning drive on WUSN-FM. McGurren, who left the show in late 2020 after 22 years, has said in court filings that. Believer of love, kindness, truth and honesty. Feder flashback: So you think you know Chicago television. Last December Hubbard filed to have DeNicolos suit dismissed and to strike some of the allegations in her second amended complaint. Honestly, let her not forget that. She collaborated with the NFL, CDC, and Heads Up Football Program in 2012 and 2013. Mom 1st. It sounds to us like shes your every day proud mom, but let us not forget he is so many of these things because of who she is. In a March 1 ruling, Judge Ronald Guzman found Hubbard Chicago VP/Market Manager Jeff Englands comments to be non-actionable statements of opinion that did not fall into any of the five categories that Illinois law deems to be defamatory. It acknowledges the existence of plaintiffs pending EEOC claim, does not discuss particular facts, and simply indicates that the station has conducted its own investigations and does not agree with Plaintiffs characterization of events a classic statement of opinion.. In a four-page ruling issued by the United District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Judge Ronald A. Guzman granted Hubbard Radio Chicago petition to dismiss the suit brought by McGurren. We are heartened by the fact that now two federal courts and an arbitrator have ruled in Hubbards favor and have concluded that the claims brought by Ms. McGurren and Ms. DeNicolo against Hubbard lacked any legal merit, attorney Michael Roche, a partner at Winston & Strawn who represented Hubbard Radio Chicago in the litigation, said in an emailed statement. After taking Ferguson off the air last October following a series of allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power by former female co-workers, Hubbard parted ways with the morning host last November. A separate lawsuit she filed against Ferguson remains active. The duo will be heard on "Melissa and Austin," weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. CT, effective May 10. The breakup came less than a year after the ubiquitous duo known as "Eric & Kathy" were inducted in the Radio Hall of Fame. Suffice it to say that we do not agree with Melissa's characterization of events.". Chicago | Mornings @US99Chicago 6-9am SHOP Melissa's Amazon Favorites link below . A federal judge this week dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by a former co-host of one of Chicagos top morning drive radio shows over alleged harassment by star Eric Ferguson. How could we improve it? 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. She is such a proud mom. Bye bye., Ferguson, who was not involved in the negotiations between Mandell and Hubbard, said: "I was surprised and disappointed when I heard the news, but I think it's important to be supportive when someone chooses to do something new in their life.". What a fun thing to be able to grow up and make that happen for yourself. View the profiles of people named Melissa McGurren. OK, love you all. CHICAGO An Illinois District Court judge on Friday dismissed a $10 million defamation lawsuit by former Chicago radio host Melissa McGurren, who had filed suit against her former employer in . McGurren currently co-hosts mornings at Audacy crosstown country US99 WUSN. Now, in her defamation suit, McGurren accuses Hubbard of intending to injure her and jeopardize her new career. Her writing gained recognition and since 2009, she's written for sites such as What to Expect, Where'd My Sanity Go, and dozens more. 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." Such complaints are confidential, but her allegations later became public in a court filing that was part of DeNicolos defamation lawsuit. Melissa McGurren, the pride of Portage, Indiana, who rose from traffic reporter to full-fledged co-host of Eric Ferguson's top-rated morning show, is out after more than two decades at WTMX. In the latest Nielsen Audio survey, US99 tied for 15th in mornings with a 2.0 percent share and cumulative weekly audience of 250,800. Its actually good for the game, Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. Michael Jackson, for instance, is a huge favorite for her. Theres still some major concerns. McGurren also accused Ferguson of grossly abusing his power and that his behavior created a hostile work environment. McGurren first made her accusations in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, shortly after leaving the station in December 2020. McGurren then took her case to the U.S. Court of Appeals. She reiterated that position in a demand for arbitration filed June 24, 2021. "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. Amidst the continuing allegations, station management pulled Ferguson off the air, saying he will be sidelined through October. At least four women have accused Ferguson of misconduct, which led the host of "Eric In the Morning" to leave the station last October. DeNicolo, a former WTMX assistant producer, claims Hubbard defamed her in statements it made to the Chicago Tribune after the newspaper first reported on her original suit against Ferguson.