The owner of a Wilkinsburg coffee shop is suing a Pittsburgh radio station over a story last year that contained allegations of sexual misconduct.

Joseph Davis, owner of Biddle’s Escape, a popular indie coffee joint in the Regent Square neighborhood, claims in a lawsuit that the story was defamatory and that it damaged his business.

The story was broadcast and published online in August 2019, relaying the accounts of three young women formerly employed at Biddle’s. They discuss a “pattern” of behavior in which Davis allegedly tried to kiss each of them without their permission.

In the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, Davis said the article “blatantly” reported false accusations without a “proper investigation.” The suit is against Pittsburgh Community Broadcasting Corporation, which owns WESA-FM, the local NPR affiliate.

Terry O’Reilly, president and CEO of PCBC, said he has not yet seen the court papers and couldn’t comment on specifics of the lawsuit. Still, he said the corporation and the station stands by their reporting and the story, “Former Employees Accuse Coffeehouse Owner of Sexual Harassment” by Bill O’Driscoll.

“Bill is a good journalist and his journalism, just like all of our journalism, is well-reported and it’s vetted and it’s carefully edited before we broadcast and put it online,” O’Reilly said. “There was no question about it then and no question about it now.”

The story reported that Davis did not respond to multiple phone messages seeking comment for the story. Davis claims in his complaint that the station reached out to him only once, and did not respond when he tried to get back in touch.

Following the story’s broadcast and publication, according to Davis’ complaint, the allegations spread throughout the community online. His complaint cites several comments found on Reddit from users vowing not to return to Biddle’s Escape because of his alleged misconduct.

Davis claims the story caused a loss of between $10,000 and $15,000 a month since its publication. The lawsuit also says he’s suffered “mental anguish, emotional distress and public humiliation.”

The station is being charged with defamation, false light invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Davis is seeking a jury trial and damages of more than $35,000.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)