On Wednesday, The Athletic published an investigation into the Detroit Tigers and owner Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E) and allegations that at least eight men employed within have been “accused of misconduct toward women since 2023, including four vice presidents and two other high-ranking employees.”
According to a report by Brittany Ghiroli and Alex Andrejev, current and former employees described the organization as a “boys club” where women were told what to wear and what not to wear, and where men would routinely comment on the appearance of female coworkers and employees.
Included in the accusations was Ben Fidelman, IS+E’s vice president of communications and broadcasting, who was reportedly accused by 10 people (men and women, per The Athletic) of making inappropriate remarks or exhibiting behavior described by some as “belittling,” “domineering,” and “disrespectful.”
According to The Athletic, three employees reported incidents involving Fidelman to the HR department. No formal complaints were filed against him regarding those incidents, but HR did receive a formal complaint from a female employee alleging retaliation and gender discrimination by Fidelman earlier this year. Fidelman was promoted to vice president in June.
The Athletic says Fidelman did not respond to a request for comment. However, the organization offered a statement, saying, “It is inaccurate and unfair to group Mr. Fidelman within a story about accusations of sexual harassment or related misconduct. A concern unrelated to either was raised, and consistent with our process, it was investigated thoroughly, and no wrongdoing was found.”
The same day of the report, The Athletic reported that Ryan Gustafson, the president and CEO of Ilitch Sports and Entertainment (IS+E), wrote a company-wide email saying he was “grateful” to those who shared their experiences for the piece. However, in a call with local media members, he said that The Athletic’s reporting was a “gross mischaracterization of the culture here.”
While noting that “What (The Athletic) found were things that we already knew and had already resolved,” Gustafson offered a staunch defense of Fidelman, saying “Ben did not do anything wrong.”
Gustafson also downplayed the impact of the allegations on the work environment, stating that they had no plans to involve an outside firm to assess their culture and that internal surveys showed employees feel “happier than they’ve ever been.”
“Do we need to focus on continued improvement in our culture? Yes. … But I’m very confident that there isn’t a larger issue from a misconduct standpoint,” he said.
The Athletic also reported that on a call with media organizations they were not invited to but gained access to, Gustafson said their reporting had “some intent” behind it. He reportedly later mentioned to several IS+E employees that he believed The Athletic’s report contained “baseless accusations,” although it could also catalyze change.
Cameron Maybin, who worked for Bally Sports Detroit as a pre- and post-game analyst in 2023, was also accused of inappropriate behavior by two female employees. Longtime Tigers broadcaster Craig Monroe was taken off the air in June 2024 after being publicly accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.