Philip Eng, the state’s top transportation official, is chalking up a hair-pulling incident with an employee as an “insensitive interaction” that occurred while saying goodbye after an MBTA team dinner at a restaurant in 2024, according to a statement from a spokesperson for the transit agency.
Eng has apologized for pulling the employee’s hair two years ago at a team dinner that also was attended by employees’ spouses, Joe Pesaturo, an MBTA spokesperson said in an email Thursday.
WCVB-Ch. 5 on Thursday reported about the November 2024 incident at a brewery. The employee did not welcome the gesture and found it highly inappropriate but did not file a formal complaint, the station reported.
“Two years ago, General Manager Eng had an insensitive interaction with one of his direct reports,” Pesaturo said in a statement. “He subsequently apologized directly to this employee. Any claims of harassment, discrimination or retaliatory behavior are completely without merit.”
The broader context, according to MBTA officials, included a conversation earlier in the evening among multiple parties about hair.
The hair pulling happened in the context of Eng poking fun at his own baldness, MBTA officials said.
Eng, the MBTA’s general manager who also serves as the state’s interim secretary of transportation issued a statement Thursday acknowledging that he had erred in his actions.
“My goal is always to lead with respect and inclusivity,” Eng said. “I know that this was a mistake, and I own that.”
“I have apologized to this employee fully and have reflected on my actions,” Eng said. “I am committed to learning from this experience and upholding the highest standards of professionalism in all my interactions as secretary and general manager.”
In the same statement, Pesaturo said, “the MBTA is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive workplace environment. Leadership plays a critical role in that.“
Channel 5 also reported that the employee is in negotiations to leave their job with the MBTA.
Tonya Alanez can be reached at tonya.alanez@globe.com. Follow her @talanez.