DeBella Accused Of Sexual Harassment

• Longtime Philadelphia radio fixture John DeBella is being sued by his former co-host, who claims she was repeatedly harassed sexually during her employment at Beasley Classic Rock WMGK. As The Philadelphia Inquirer reports, Jennifer Neill, a.k.a. Jen Posner, who was DeBella’s co-host from 2010 until 2016, filed a 57-page lawsuit last Friday spelling out some 30 instances of improper verbal and physical conduct during her time with the station.

Neill, who joined WMGK as a traffic reporter in 2002, contends in her suit that DeBella, 66, grabbed her breasts on several occasions, and repeatedly asked her to perform oral sex on him. She also alleges that DeBella had pressed his groin against her multiple times, and once put her hand on his genital area. DeBella also allegedly referred to Neill as “Bitch” in the office, the suit claims.

Neill claims station management conducted an investigation into her allegations after she filed a complaint with the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in Sept. 2016. As part of that investigation, the suit says, DeBella described his alleged behavior as “jokes” that were “mutual.” The lawsuit contends that Neill is unaware of any disciplinary action taken against DeBella, and that the station’s management witnessed harassment by DeBella on several occasions and did nothing.

Following the investigation, the suit says, Neill was given the option of re-joining DeBella or returning to her former role as traffic reporter. She chose the traffic gig, described in the suit as a “substantial demotion.” Neill ended up leaving WMGK in January 2017 and she is currently seeking an unspecified amount in damages and legal costs. In a statement, Beasley Broadcast Group said, “Beasley prides itself on being an equal opportunity employer and takes such allegations very seriously. However, at this time, we are not offering specific comment on the matter.”