NYC Radio: WFAN, Joe Benigno Slapped With Harassment Lawsuit

Joe Benigno

WFAN 660 AM / 101.9 FM was run like a frat house, with drinking by employees starting as early as 10 a.m. and executives condoning buying prostitutes for ad clients, according to a shocking lawsuit filed Wednesday by a 40-year-old former CBS Radio ad exec.

According to The NYPost, Lauren Lockwood, who worked at WFAN from 2006 until last summer, claims the station’s executives tolerated a hostile work environment that subjected her to sexual harassment.

On various occasions, WFAN host Joe Benigno pressured her into having a threesome, the lawsuit, filed in Brooklyn state court, claims.

Benigno, 64, has worked at WFAN since 1995 and is currently the host of “Joe & Evan” with Evan Roberts on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Benigno was also accused in the 39-page suit of ranking women in the office on the basis of their looks — and carrying on an affair with a female subordinate for roughly two years.

Lockwood claims that her career was short-circuited after she rebuffed Benigno’s advances.

Lockwood, 40, who sold ads for WFAN and the Yankees Radio Network, endured a “Mad Men”-like environment where male executives’ affairs with subordinates were tolerated, the suit claims.

The suit, which seeks $5 million in damages, names as defendants CBS Radio, Benigno, Argaman and Mark Zukerman, a second ad sales executive, as well as other unidentified employees.

Lockwood was an award-winning saleswoman and sold nearly $1 million in advertising in 2016, according to the complaint.

The suit paints a picture of a work culture at CBS Radio that was heavy on drinking, especially “pickle back” shots — that is, a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice.

CBS Radio, including WFAN, was bought by Entercom on Nov. 17, 2017.  A spokesperson for Entercom said the company does not comment on pending litigation.