Batali battles new civil suit
MARIO Batali — already the subject of a criminal investigation by the NYPD and a civil investigation by the state attorney general’s office, both for sexual misconduct allegations — is facing yet another lawsuit. Former fan Natali Tene has filed papers with the Massachusetts Superior Court, accusing the chef of “assault and battery” after he allegedly groped her while they were taking a selfie at Towne Stove and Spirits in Boston in April 2017. Tene claims that Batali saw her taking a picture of him from afar and invited her over to take a picture with him. She alleges that he then “grabbed and kissed” her face, “rubbed her breasts, grabbed her buttocks, put his hands between her legs and groped her groin area, and kept forcefully squeezing her face into his as he kissed her repeatedly,” according to the suit. The court papers say that the epi-sode made “Ms. Tene feel shocked and highly uncom-fortable.” She’s seeking damages for emotional distress.. Several women have accused Batali of sexual assault.. On Monday, the New York Attorney General’s Office issued a subpoena as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment and workplace discrimi-nation at the Spotted Pig — where Batali was an inves-tor and regular. The investigation is looking into owner Ken Friedman and the subpoena “seeks video footage of Mr. Batali with female employees in the restaurant’s third-floor party room,” known as the “rape room.”