A former waiter at Mario Batali's ever-packed West Village restaurant Babbo has filed suit, alleging that Batali and business parter Joe Bastianich stood by while he was subject to merciless sexual taunting.
Eugene Gibbons claims that several of his male co-workers harassed him at work, including smacking his behind, grabbing his genitals, and making masturbation references toward him. In one instance, an employee told Eugene he masturbated to Eugene's pictures after his wife went to sleep, while in another, Gibbons claims he was carrying a heavy tub of dishes and was "randomly poked from behind," making him twist and injure his back.
Gibbons says that he complained in letters to management, and that Batali and Bastianich were "fully aware" of the harassment but did nothing to stop it. He does not name Batali directly in the suit, but says that his failure to stop the harassment amounts to condoning the behavior. Gibbons is suing for unspecified damages to cover back pay and "emotional distress." It's not dissimilar to the sexual harassment suit a Dallas BBQ employee recently filed, but with less onion loafs and more truffle oil.
It's been an eventful few years for Batali—he's been wrapped up in a labor wage suit filed by Babbo employees since last summer, and earlier this year, bankers started boycotting his restaurants after Batali compared them to Hitler. Good thing he's still got mountains of cash to sleep soundly upon from that worldwide Eataly expansion!
