Atlanta Radio: Dave Smith Counters Shorty Mack Harassment Lawsuit

Dave Smith

Radio programmer “Hurricane” Dave Smith, who ran Radio One Atlanta for several years until he was dismissed last month, has filed a countersuit against a former WHTA Hot 107.9 air personality who accused him of sexual assault and harassment, according to Atlanta media watcher Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

In the lawsuit, filed September 5 in the State Court of Fulton County, he refuted and denied every single claim Feleg Abraham (who went by Shorty Mack on air) referenced in her original suit, which was filed in early August.

In Abraham’s lawsuit, Abraham claimed he had come on to her even before she was hired. She said he assaulted her at least twice, including a time in his office where he allegedly forced oral sex on her. She said he sexually harassed her numerous times from her time of employment December 12, 2016 until her resignation February 23, 2018.

“There is no other way to say this except bluntly: the allegations against Dave Smith are 100% false,’ said his attorney James L. Walker Jr. in a press release.

Shorty Mac

He also said that Smith was “not fired for sexual harassing any employee(s), as will become clear as this case progresses.” He did not state why Smith was fired.

In her lawsuit, she said while discussing possible employment after a concert, they walked to his office and he “abruptly and unexpectedly forced himself on Ms. Abraham and kissed her on the mouth. Ms. Abraham resisted the sexual advances of Defendant Smith.” In her suite, Smith said if she wanted a job, she would need to “get it popping,” which she understood to mean “have sex with Defendant Smith.” She said she began crying upon hearing his alleged “sex for hire proposition.”

His version:  she was crying about the working conditions at WFDR Streetz 94.5, where she was employed at the time. He said he comforted her with “a tissue to dry her tears and some words of faith/encouragement.” He said he did not “make any romantic or sexual advances toward Abraham, make any unwanted or inappropriate physical contact with Abraham, make any suggestive or explicit comments to or around Abraham, or otherwise proposition Abraham in any way whatsoever.”