Star chef Besh steps down over sexual harassment allegations

New Orleans celebrity chef John Besh stepped down from management of the restaurant group that bears his name after a newspaper reported that 25 women who are current or former employees of the business said they were victims of sexual harassment by male co-workers and bosses.

New Orleans media outlets said Besh’s departure from the business he co-owns was announced to employees Monday. “John has decided to step down from all aspects of operations and to provide his full focus on his family,” Shannon White, the woman who is stepping in as CEO, said in an email to staff.

The allegations were published Saturday by NOLA.comThe Times Picayune after an eight-month investigation. Women interviewed said male bosses in the Besh Restaurant Group touched or verbally harassed them and, in a few cases, tried to leverage positions of authority for sex.

Besh acknowledged a sexual relationship with an employee, saying in a written statement to NOLA.comThe Times-Picayune that it was consensual, despite the woman’s assertions in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that she felt pressured.

The developments came as sexual harassment allegations have been dogging other famous men, including Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, former Fox News executive Roger Ailes and comedian Bill Cosby.

Repercussions from the Besh story were being felt even before the allegations were published. Last month, Alon Shaya, a star chef who rose up through the Besh Group ranks, was dismissed as executive chef at Domenica, Pizza Domenica and his critically acclaimed namesake restaurant, Shaya.

Shaya had contacted NOLA.com in August regarding his concerns on how sexual harassment allegations were handled. “I do feel like I was fired for talking ... and for standing up,” Shaya said in a follow-up interview Oct. 17. Current and former staff, meanwhile, said in the article and in social media that Shaya did not do enough to stop sexual harassment at the restaurants he ran.

On Sunday, Harrah’s New Orleans Casino said it was severing ties with Besh and would rename its Besh Steak restaurant in the casino.

Nine women interviewed for the NOLA.com story agreed to the use of their names, including Madie Robison.

“After being immersed in the culture of the company, I realize my morals and values do not align with the daily practices,” Robison wrote in a resignation email, sent to Besh, his business partner Octavio Mantilla and others.

In multiple interviews, Robison’s complaints included persistent, sexualized comments from peers and supervisors.