MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng is facing internal scrutiny after a report that he grabbed and pulled the hair of another MBTA employee as the two said goodbye following a work event. The allegation led the employee to bring the matter to the authority’s human-resources and legal teams, and the T says Eng has apologized directly to the staffer while the agency reviews the complaint internally.
Reported details
According to WCVB, which credited Contrarian Boston as the first outlet to publish the account, sources said the exchange took place at a brewery after an MBTA function. Those sources told reporters the employee filed a formal complaint and has been negotiating an exit from the agency. The interaction was reportedly raised with the MBTA’s human-resources and legal departments.
Agency response and apology
An MBTA spokesperson told WCVB that Eng apologized directly to the employee. Eng also issued a public apology, saying he "owned the mistake" and had "committed to learning from the experience," according to the outlet’s reporting. The agency said it would handle the matter through its existing personnel procedures.
Leadership context
Eng serves as the MBTA’s general manager and has also been acting as the state’s interim secretary of transportation, a dual assignment that places him at the center of major transit decisions statewide, according to WBUR. Tapped for the transportation post by Gov. Maura Healey in 2023, he oversees high-profile projects and event service plans, which means internal personnel disputes can quickly become broader political and managerial headaches.
What comes next
MBTA officials say the complaint will move through internal channels, and it was not immediately clear whether the review could result in disciplinary action or any referral to law enforcement. For now, Eng’s apology and the filed complaint remain the only public developments, with more details likely to surface as the agency’s human-resources review continues.
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