sexual harassment

Tom Colicchio Says ‘No One Should Be Surprised’ About Mario Batali Sexual-Harassment Allegations

Tom Colicchio. Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Food Policy Act

Mario Batali became the latest high-profile man to take a leave of absence from his business following sexual-harassment allegations from multiple women. An Eater report published Monday morning revealed several accusations of inappropriate touching and other misconduct, where women say Batali grabbed them from behind or rubbed their breasts. Fellow chef Tom Colicchio chimed in on Twitter, saying that “no one should be surprised” by the allegations against Batali. In subsequent tweets, Colicchio said Batali’s conduct was “well documented in Bill Buford’s book Heat.” He also referenced an open letter he wrote in November, asking that male chefs and restaurateurs acknowledge the power imbalance that allows women workers to be harassed with little recourse. “Something’s broken here,” he wrote in the post. “It’s time that chefs and restaurant owners candidly acknowledge the larger culture that hatched all these crummy eggs, and have some hard conversations amongst ourselves that are long overdue.”

Tom Colicchio: ‘No One Should Be Surprised’ About Batali