$600G hit for harass
Tish OKs deal in toxic workplace slap for chef Batali
Celebrity chef Mario Batali and his partner have to dish out $600,000 to at least 20 women and men who claim they were sexually harassed while working at the pair’s Manhattan restaurants, according to state officials.
Batali was castigated as a #MeToo movement predator after staffers at his acclaimed eateries claimed they were sexually harassed by Batali and other managers at New York hotspots Babbo, Lupa, and the now-shuttered Del Posto.
State Attorney General Letitia James, whose office investigated the claims, announced the settlement Friday, detailing the hostile work environment that permitted a sexualized culture of misconduct and harassment for years.
Batali’s partner, Joe Bastianich, was not cited in any specific allegations, but a report issued after James’ investigation stressed the role she said he played in allowing such toxic behavior to continue unchecked.
“Celebrity and fame does not absolve someone from following the law,” James said. “Sexual harassment is unacceptable for anyone, anywhere — no matter how powerful the perpetrator. Batali and Bastianich permitted an intolerable work environment and allowed shameful behavior that is inappropriate in any setting.”
James’ report detailed one instance when Batali himself made sexually explicit comments to a female server, and grabbed her hand, pulling it toward his crotch. Another manager made comments about women’s height and weight, and instructed them to wear makeup and to get breast implants.
Male servers were given preferential treatment over women, who were belittled in front of guests and not given prime tables, according to the investigation.
The company regularly dismissed complaints without taking them seriously and discouraged employees from speaking out, the report said.
“When my female coworkers and I were being sexually harassed by multiple people at Del Posto, the restaurant’s leadership made us feel as if we were asking for it, as if it is a rite of passage to be harassed at work,” Juliana Imperati, a former line cook at Del Posto, said. “Sexual harassment, discrimination and retaliation should never be normalized in any industry or workplace.”
Brianna Pintens, a former server at Del Posto, said she was sexually harassed constantly.
“Management routinely ignored these behaviors, made excuses for the perpetrators and often used victim blaming as a way to avoid having to deal with a workplace culture rooted in fear and humiliation,” she said.
In addition to the payout, the company has agreed to revise its training materials and submit biannual reports to the the attorney general’s office to certify compliance.