Print
Close
New York attorney general seeking Spotted Pig surveillance video following 'rape room' report, allegations against Mario Batali
By Joe Tacopino, Joe Tacopino
Published August 21, 2018
The state’s attorney general is investigating allegations of sexual harassment at the Spotted Pig — a West Village hotspot owned by Ken Friedman and funded by embattled celebrity chef Mario Batali, according to a report.
New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood has issued a subpoena for records of both Friedman and Batali as part of a civil rights investigation into the trendy eatery, the New York Times reported Monday.
WOMAN CLAIMS MARIO BATALI DRUGGED, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER IN AN NYC RESTAURANT'S 'RAPE ROOM'
The probe comes to light after complaints from employees of rampant workplace misconduct by management.
“The law is clear: New Yorkers are entitled to workplaces free of sexual harassment, discrimination, and intimidation,” Underwood said in a statement provided to The Post.
“Our office will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect New Yorkers – and if there’s culture of harassment and discrimination at a New York company, we want to know about it.”
Ken Friedman, seen here with a guest at a 2017 film premiere, was accused of sexual harassment by former employees. Former employees at his NYC restaurant, the Spotted Pig, have also accused Mario Batali of sexual misconduct on the restaurant's third-floor party room. (Associated Press)
RESTAURATEUR KEN FRIEDMAN ACCUSED OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT BY FORMER EMPLOYEES
Underwood’s subpoena is specifically looking for communications between Friedman and his staff that include sexually explicit content — including nude photos, the Times said.
In addition, Underwood wants surveillance video footage of Batali with female employees in the restaurant’s third-floor “party room,” according to the report.
In December, the Times published a detailed description of allegations of sexual harassment at the Spotted Pig by Friedman and Batali including the description of the VIP third floor as the “rape room.”
MARIO BATALI ONCE SAID A 'RECKONING' WAS COMING FOR HARASSERS IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
This article originally appeared in The New York Post.
https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/new-york-attorney-general-seeking-spotted-pig-surveillance-video-following-rape-room-report-allegations-against-mario-batali