SF Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello Sued Over Alleged Sexual Harassment
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Two former employees of celebrity chef Michael Chiarello are suing him over alleged sexual harassment at his San Francisco restaurant.
Former servers Katherine Page and Asja Sever allege that Chiarello fostered a culture of workplace sexual harassment at the his Coqueta restaurant on Pier 5, which included inappropriate comments, touching and other abuse by Chiarello and other staff members.
Page had been employed for nearly three years and Sever nearly two years with Coqueta and quit last week. They allege the workplace was sexually charged, hostile, and abusive when they began working, and that it continued throughout their employment.
The lawsuit states: "Coqueta management either participated in the sex harassment directly or allowed it to continue unabated ... by turning a blind eye toward the egregious, unlawful sexual misconduct of the restaurant's more prominent employees."
The former servers also said in the complaint that executive chef Dominick Maietta would use homophobic slurs toward gays and derogatory terms to describe Mexicans and women.
Their complaint also alleges Chiarello directed his hiring managers to not hire women unless they wanted to have sex with them.
Separately, Chiarello is facing a class-action lawsuit alleging his restaurant failed to pay all wages for hours worked, failed to pay overtime, manipulated time clocks and time sheets, and required employees to pool tips with kitchen staff.
Tuesday evening, a spokesperson for Michael Chiarello issued the following statement:
Mr. Chiarello is very upset by the allegations made by two former employees. The allegations are not only upsetting to him, they are also against his core beliefs.
Mr. Chiarello strongly believes that a great restaurant cannot really be great without an outstanding team. Throughout his career, he has served as a mentor to the people who work with him and helped them climb the ladder in their careers. This claim flies in the face of who Mr. Chiarello is and how he has lived his life. Mr. Chiarello is the son of immigrant family, a true American success story, who became the acclaimed chef he is today by using the skills he learned from watching his mother cook when he was a young boy and caring about the people with whom he worked.
We are also disappointed that neither Coqueta nor Mr. Chiarello were provided a copy of the lawsuit prior to the former employees' attorneys sending it to the media. Mr. Chiarello intends to vigorously defend himself, his reputation and his team against these unfounded claims in a court of law.
Chiarello also owns Bottega Ristorante in Yountville and the Chiarello Family Vineyards. He is an author and host of cooking shows on PBS, Food Network and Cooking Channel, and has appeared on food competition reality shows "Top Chef" and "Top Chef Masters."
Carlos E. Castañeda is Senior Editor, News & Social Media for CBS San Francisco and a San Francisco native. You can follow him on Twitter or send him an email.
