A popular NPR podcast host has quietly left the public radio network after human resources reportedly launched a probe into his workplace conduct following complaints from a female employee.
Ramtin Arablouei, co-host of NPR’s “Throughline” podcast, has departed the network after a female employee of the show complained about his workplace conduct, leading to an internal investigation, according to two people with knowledge of the matter, the New York Times reported.
However, it is not immediately clear if Arablouei’s departure is directly related to the investigation or not.
Arablouei has not co-hosted an episode of “Throughline” for a number of weeks — and neither NPR nor Arablouei have publicly commented on his absence.
The probe into Arablouei’s alleged inappropriate behavior began in March, after an employee of “Throughline” told a manager about her uncomfortable experiences working with the 43-year-old podcast host, the report said.
The unidentified employee claimed that Arablouei behaved inappropriately toward her and made an offensive comment during a team meeting, the sources told The Times.
Arablouei reportedly made the female employee uncomfortable by divulging details of his personal life during frequent one-on-one meetings with her.
The employee also claims that Arablouei had made inappropriate remarks during “Throughline” team meetings — including that a producer was “a case for race mixing,” leaving some employees uncomfortable regarding the untoward comment on the employee’s physical appearance.
The podcast co-host also allegedly flirted with guests and a contract employee of the show, the two anonymous sources told the paper.
According to three people with knowledge of the investigation, Ali Parker, Senior Assistant General Counsel at NPR, interviewed “Throughline” employees regarding the complaints over a number of weeks, The Times said.
On April 1, Parker told the female employee that many of her complaints had been corroborated.
That same day, “Throughline” staff were informed by the network during a meeting that Arablouei was leaving NPR but did provide details on why.
Two weeks later, NPR sent a message to stations across the network advising that Arablouei’s co-host, Run Abdelfatah would soon tell listeners that she was the podcast’s solo co-host.
In a statement to the New York Times, NPR spokesperson Heather Walls said that “any concerns raised through appropriate channels are reviewed carefully.”
“We take allegations regarding workplace conduct seriously and are committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and professional environment for all employees,” she said.
The network has yet to publicly announce Arablouei’s departure.
However, NPR podcast strategy VP Yolanda Sangweni acknowledged to staff in a recent email that they are “working closely with the Throughline team on the show’s future direction,” according to a X post from Times reporter Benjamin Mullin.
According to Sangweni’s email, NPR “are grateful to Rund for continuing on as the show’s solo host.”
As of Saturday, Arablouei’s bio on the NPR website has been wiped — including any mention of co-hosting the “Throughline” podcast — but his story archive remains.
However, “Host/Producer of NPR’s Podcast ‘Throughline’” is still listed in his Instagram bio.
Arablouei has been a long-time contributor to NPR and has been with the network since 2015, according to his public Linkedin profile.
Before co-founding “Throughline,” Arablouei helped create a number of NPR’s most ambitious shows including business podcast, “How I Built This,” and contributed to the “TED Radio Hour,” “Hidden Brain,” Radio Ambulante,” and “Reveal” shows on the network.
The Post reached out to Arablouei and NPR Saturday but did not hear back.
The post NPR podcast host quits amid inappropriate workplace conduct probe: report appeared first on New York Post.
