MBTA reaches $495,000 settlement with employee over GM's hair-pulling incident

By Charlie McKenna | MassLive.com (TNS)

BOSTON — The MBTA reached a nearly $500,000 settlement agreement earlier this month with the woman whose hair General Manager Philip Eng was accused of inappropriately pulling during a work dinner in 2024, the agency confirmed Friday evening.

The agreement stipulates that Gabrielle Mondestin, the T’s chief communications officer, will resign from her position on Sept. 18. The agency agreed to pay her $495,000, according to a copy of the settlement agreement provided to MassLive.

Mondestin had not previously been identified.

Eng — who is also serving as the state’s interim transportation secretary — admitted to the incident and apologized for it after accounts surfaced in media reports.

The hair-pulling occurred as Eng poked fun at his own baldness, MBTA officials said. It was preceded by a broader group conversation about hair earlier in the evening.

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The agreement does not include an admission of wrongdoing from Eng. Both he and Mondestin signed the agreement on Aug. 7.

In a statement attached to the settlement, the T thanked Mondestin for her “leadership ... and truly fine service.”

“The Authority also appreciates Ms. Mondestin’s willingness to step forward and bring concerns about her experience to the MBTA’s attention,” the statement reads.

In the statement, Eng said, “I regret my actions, have learned from this experience and appreciate Ms. Mondestin’s focus on assuring that the MBTA learns from it as well.”

For her part, Mondestin said she was “tremendously grateful for the opportunity to have served the people of Massachusetts,” but noted that “some of my experiences have been difficult.”

She said she was “appreciative that the MBTA’s leadership has recommitted today to listening to its employees and working to create a fair and respectful work environment for all.”

“I wish the MBTA and its leadership team the very best going forward,” her statement concludes.

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