With the allegations against restaurateurs John Besh and Boston’s Todd English, the restaurant industry is one of many undergoing a reckoning due to a record number of allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
A 2014 study by The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United found that 80 percent of people in the restaurant industry reported being sexually harassed by coworkers and two-thirds reported harassment from managers. The same report also found the food industry to be the single largest source of sexual harassment claims in the U.S.
Jim Braude was joined by Joanne Chang, the 2016 James Beard award-winning co-owner of Flour Bakery and Myers + Chang; Tiffani Faison, chef and owner of Sweet Cheeks Barbeque and Tiger Mama; and Cherry Bombe’s Kerry Diamond, who also co-owns four restaurants in New York City.
