Feder: Cynthia DeNicolo, Melissa McGurren press defamation cases against The Mix

It's been nearly four months since morning host Eric Ferguson resigned from WTMX 101.9-FM in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations by employees of the Hubbard Radio hot adult-contemporary station.

While The Mix may have hoped to move on since then, two of Ferguson's accusers are keeping up their legal fight over the company's efforts to whitewash the whole sordid matter.

Cynthia DeNicolo and Melissa McGurren are pursuing separate defamation lawsuits against Hubbard Radio for public statements the company made denying their claims that Ferguson mistreated women at the station, according to recent court filings reported by Inside Radio.

DeNicolo, who was an associate producer on the morning show for 20 years before she was laid off in 2020, accused Ferguson last spring of coercing her into performing unwelcome sexual acts in 2004.

McGurren, who succeeded Kathy Hart as co-host of the morning show in 2017, said Ferguson subjected her to an "unbearable hostile work environment" with the knowledge of their bosses. McGurren left The Mix after 22 years in 2020 and now co-hosts mornings on Audacy country WUSN 99.5-FM.

Earlier, attorneys for Hubbard Radio had both defamation suits moved from Cook County Circuit Court to U.S. District Court before seeking to have them dismissed.

Hubbard described the company's statements as "innocuous" and argued that they do not meet the legal definition of defamation.

• Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.