Todd English. Photo courtesy of ChefToddEnglish.com.
Summary: Celebrity chef Todd English has been accused of drunkenly groping one of his waitresses.
Todd English is the latest celebrity to be accused of sexual harassment. The chef, who owns a prominent dining experience in New York City, was accused by a former waitress of lewd conduct and allowing a hostile environment to thrive in his restaurant.
Gabrielle Eubank filed a complaint in Manhattan this week, according to The Mirror. She said that English and his Plaza Hotel Food Hall staff harassed her earlier this year, and she is suing the Plaza Hotel for damages. English was not named as a defendant.
Eubank said that at a May 17 party where she was working as a server, English came onto her, hugging and kissing her cheek repeatedly. She said that the British chef, 57, appeared to be intoxicated when he touched her without her consent.
“Mr. English then began flagrantly propositioning Ms. Eubank on the floor, saying she was ‘sexy’ and that he’s ‘surprised you’re still single.’ Mr. English then attempted to kiss Ms. Eubank on the lips, forcing her to turn away at the last moment,” the lawsuit said.
Eubank said that English’ staff at The Plaza Food Hall also harassed her. For example, she said that one cook told her that he had a “tiny burrito for you.”
“This institutional culture of sexual harassment, which starts at the very top, is ignored and tolerated by human resources and hotel management–the very people charged with ensuring the well-being of hotel employees,” the complaint stated.
Eubank’s lawsuit came after a similar one was filed in August by six employees who said that Todd English’s Food Hall encouraged “rape culture,” a term referring to the normalization of sexual abuse of women. In that case, former and current female employees said that male staffers frequently made suggestive comments to the female staff, including references to phallic-shaped objects such as pens, cucumbers, and bananas.
In the August lawsuit, one woman said that she was even told, “I want to take you to the back and f–k the s–t out of you.”
Restauranteur Todd English is best known for PBS show, Food Trip with Todd English, and for his numerous restaurants around the country including Olives, Figs, and Beso. The Plaza Food Hall where Eubanks worked is a gourmet food court that has an assortment of restaurants and shops. According to the company website, the Plaza Food Hall is “often called one of NYC’s best hidden secrets and the local’s favorite spot for lunch in midtown NYC.”
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