Howard Eskin, a veteran sports radio host and announcer from Philadelphia, was banned from Citizens Bank Park for the remainder of the Phillies’ season on Wednesday after making unwanted advances toward a female employee at the stadium earlier this season, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Eskin, 73, was allegedly sitting in an exclusive seating area behind home plate at the stadium before a game in May when he attempted to kiss a female Aramark employee as she stepped back. Aramark is the food service provider for the stadium.
After the employee reported the “unwelcome kiss,” the company and Audacy — the parent company of WIP-FM, Eskin’s employer — launched an investigation. It was reportedly Audacy’s idea to ban Eskin from the stadium for the remainder of the season after the investigation was completed.
“We have been working with our partners at Audacy and Aramark on their investigations,” the Phillies said in a statement, via the Inquirer. “We support Audacy’s decision to suspend Howard Eskin from Citizens Bank Park.”
Eskin has long been a fixture in Philadelphia’s sports media scene. He was one of WIP’s first employees, hosting their first sports talk show on the radio in 1986. Eskin has been with the station in a reduced role for more than a decade, but he still hosts programs regularly and reports from games around the city. He remains on the radio, even though he is not allowed to attend Phillies games.
The Philadelphia 76ers also banned Eskin from their training facility until further notice on Wednesday as a result of the investigation, NBC Philadelphia reported. The Philadelphia Eagles are also monitoring the situation, PFT’s Mike Florio reported, as Eskin is a reporter for the network during home games.
