MBTA to pay nearly $500,000 to employee whose hair Eng pulled

Key Points:

• The MBTA will pay Gabrielle Mondestin, chief communications officer, nearly $500,000 in a settlement after general manager Phil Eng admitted to pulling her hair at a 2024 dinner, though Eng did not admit wrongdoing in the agreement.
• Mondestin will resign from the agency on September 18, with the settlement covering supplemental wages, damages, and attorney fees.
• Eng apologized for the incident, calling it an "insensitive interaction," while the MBTA praised Mondestin’s service and emphasized its commitment to a respectful workplace.
• The incident occurred during a team-building dinner where Eng joked about his baldness before pulling Mondestin’s hair, an act he later acknowledged; Governor Maura Healey continues to support Eng’s leadership.
• The MBTA’s handling of the case has faced scrutiny for the lack of transparency about any investigation, with employment lawyers noting that an independent probe is standard for incidents involving high-ranking officials.