Howard Eskin, a longtime Philadelphia sports radio broadcaster, has been barred from Citizens Bank Park through the end of the Philadelphia Phillies’ season after an investigation found Eskin made an unwelcome advance toward a woman working for Aramark.
The employee alleged Eskin, 73, gave her an unwanted kiss at the ballpark in May, which led to the investigation, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, which first reported the news and details related to Eskin’s suspension from the ballpark.
Aramark, the ballpark’s food service provider, confirmed in a statement Tuesday that one of its employees was “subjected to an unwanted kiss by an Audacy employee” and immediately began an investigation that corroborated the allegations. Aramark also said it worked with Audacy and the Phillies to take steps to protect all Aramark employees at the ballpark.
A spokesperson for Audacy — which owns WIP-FM, the station where Eskin hosts a weekly radio show — confirmed the “unwelcome kiss” and said the company “immediately investigated and took action to address the matter.”
“The Phillies take these allegations very seriously,” the Phillies said in a statement. “We cooperated with our partners at Audacy and Aramark on their investigations. We support Audacy’s decision to suspend Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park.”
Eskin will remain on-air, according to the Inquirer. He did not immediately respond to The Athletic’s request for comment.
Eskin, who is seen as a polarizing figure for his brash personality, has been a sports media mainstay in the Philadelphia area for decades, joining WIP in 1986 when the station switched to a full-time sports radio format. He’s hosted more than 8,000 sports radio programs, most notably with WIP, where he also works as a reporter for Philadelphia Eagles broadcasts.
Eskin has continued to work for WIP since the incident, regularly hosting his radio show on Saturdays.
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