MBTA pays $500K settlement to employee in Phil Eng hair-pulling incident

The MBTA will pay nearly $500,000 to its chief communications officer, the employee whose hair General Manager Phil Eng acknowledged pulling at a team dinner in 2024.

According to a settlement agreement obtained by The Boston Globe, Gabrielle Mondestin, a woman of color who has served as the T’s chief communications officer since 2023, will resign from the agency on Sept. 18 and receive a $495,000 settlement covering a supplemental wage payment, damages, and attorneys’ fees, the Globe reported.

The agreement, which Mondestin and Eng signed on Aug. 7, does not include an admission of wrongdoing by Eng, according to the Globe.

“I regret my actions, have learned from this experience and appreciate Ms. Mondestin’s focus on assuring the MBTA learns from it as well,” Eng said in a joint statement released with the agreement.

Mondestin said that while “some of my experiences have been difficult,” she was grateful for her time at the agency and appreciative that T leadership had recommitted to “listening to its employees and working to create a fair and respectful work environment for all,” the Globe reported.

The November 2024 incident took place during a team-building dinner attended by transit leaders and their spouses. At the event, the group was discussing hair and Eng poked fun at his own baldness. Later, as the event wrapped up, Eng pulled Mondestin’s hair. The T later described the moment as an “insensitive interaction.”

Mondestin raised concerns about the incident with the T’s human resources and legal departments, but didn’t file a formal complaint, WCVB reported. 

Eng apologized publicly after the incident surfaced in June, saying he had made a mistake and had apologized directly to the employee.

“My goal is always to lead with respect and inclusivity,” Eng said in a statement at the time. “I know that this was a mistake, and I own that.”

Mondestin was responsible for the MBTA’s communications strategy and public engagement efforts. In Friday’s joint statement, the agency praised her “truly fine service” and acknowledged that it can be difficult for employees to speak out about workplace problems, according to the Globe.

Eng has led the MBTA since 2023 and is also serving as the state’s interim transportation secretary. After the incident became public, Gov. Maura Healey said she was “absolutely” confident in Eng’s leadership.

Morgan Rousseau is a freelance writer for Boston.com, where she reports on a variety of local and regional news.