Noted chef departs
John Besh, a top New Orleans chef, has left his company following allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
John Besh, the New Orleans chef whose dining portfolio included some of that city’s most important and popular restaurants, has left the company that bears his name following allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.
Besh, who was scheduled to be among the celebrity chefs participating in Sunday’s Southern Smoke 2017 barbecue festival in Houston, is the co-owner of Besh Restaurant Group, which was the subject of an eight-month investigation by Nola.com/The TimesPicayune published over the weekend. The Besh group was also planning to open a restaurant on Buffalo Speedway this fall.
The report revealed claims by 25 current and former female employees of Besh Group claiming sexual harassment while working for the company or at some of its restaurants. The story described a culture of sexual harassment at the Besh Group, whose restaurants include New Orleans’ well known August, Borgne, Domenica, Luke, Johnny Sanchez, Shaya and Willa Jean. In one of two separate complaints to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a former employee claims that Besh “continued to attempt to coerce (her) to submit to his sexual overtures” during a monthslong sexual relationship when she worked for him.
Things moved quickly after Saturday’s lengthy story went live. Later that day Besh released a statement saying he was responsible for his “moral failings.”
“Two years ago, I deeply hurt those I love by thoughtlessly engaging in a consensual relationship with one member of my team,” Besh said. “Since then I have been seeking to rebuild my marriage and come to terms with my reckless actions given the profound love I have for my wife, my boys and my Catholic faith. I also regret any harm this may have caused to my second family at the restaurant group, and sincerely apologize to anyone past and present who has worked for me who found my behavior as unacceptable as I do.”
New Orleans was still digesting the news about one of its favorite sons, a James Beard Awardwinning chef who helped pull the city together after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and a man whose name was synonymous with Crescent City fine dining, hospitality, and for keeping a culinary spotlight on the city via TV cooking shows and cookbooks.
By Monday, Besh was out of his job, stepping down from the company he created. In a letter to employees, Shannon White, a Besh Restaurant Group executive, announced that Besh parted ways with the business to focus on his family. White, the company’s new CEO, announced an outside review to independently investigate the claims, too. The letter also announced the formation of a permanent advisory committee, sexual harassment training and an updated sexual harassment policy and code of conduct.