New Bullying Allegations Made Against Tom Ashbrook

More men and women have come forward to describe allegations against On Point radio host Tom Ashbrook and WBUR 90.9 FM  managers who they say failed to stop Ashbrook's alleged bullying.

There are now at least 23 current and former WBUR employees who've alleged verbal abuse, intimidation and/or unwanted touching by Ashbrook. That number includes the 11 accusers who filed a collection of testimonials early this month, triggering an investigation. In the 11 days since that investigation was launched and Ashbrook was placed on leave, 12 more current or former On Point and WBUR employees have spoken to a WBUR reporter.

Some of those employees plan to report those complaints to investigators, according to WBUR.

The complaints span the 16-year history of the show, although most are more recent. They come from 14 women and nine men. Fifteen say they went to managers, asking for help. Ten of the 23 say they left On Point mainly because of a hostile, demeaning work environment. Nine say they reported the alleged abuse to more than one manager. It's unclear what actions managers took prior to placing Ashbrook on leave, but most producers interviewed for this story say they felt abandoned or sacrificed by management. We agreed not to use their names because they fear retaliation or harm to their future employment.

The new allegations include women and men who say Ashbrook called them into the radio studio, told them they were “worthless,” and described their work using profanity. One remembers Ashbrook crushing the script she’d given him into a ball and throwing it at her. A male producer says Ashbrook would reminisce about a woman at a bar in Asia who could perform sex tricks with darts. A female producer says she remembers Ashbrook looking through the glass that separates the studio and control room, and muting his microphone to complain about a guest the producer had booked who was not in the studio. She says Ashbrook referred to the guest using an expletive and a highly offensive term for female genitalia. The producer says she stopped working for the show shortly thereafter.

"These allegations include new suggestions that are simply untrue," Ashbrook said in an emailed statement, after reviewing the complaints reported here. "Yes, I could be a tough boss, and yes we sometimes had editorial discussions that included sensitive topics. But these new allegations suggest behavior that is totally contrary to the way I try to live my life every day and treat those around me."

Producers say they would sometimes leave work in tears, feeling demeaned or, as one said, like they had been “chewed up and spat out.”