Celebrity Chef Mario Batali Agrees to $600,000 Settlement over Sexual Harassment

Some years are famous for very significant events. Late 2016 to early 2017will remembering history as starting a positive event in response to past dark events. Also known as the ‘Weinstein Effect. It is believing to be the threshold point of holding back. The moment after which people had been criticizing. Belittled by people in power claimed their autonomy on their bodies. People realized the power of publicly voicing misconducts that happened with them. They realized that it is not them who should hide; those monsters who think that humans can reduce to their genitals must face the consequences, giving birth to the ’me too movement. Mario Batali.

Who is MARIO BATALI?

This period’s infamous case is of a ‘Red Menace’ naming Mario Batali. People in the early 2000s remember him from his distinctive orange crocs, ponytail hairs, shorts, and zip-up vests. His victims know him from the early 1990s when he was a chef. Mario Batali’s violations and bully behavior span nearly three decades. That too from the accounts of people who came out with their allegations in public.

About the case-

Mario Batali has been accused of many sexual misconducts like groping, passing lewd comments, kissing forcefully, etc. He never cared about his actions until the complaint gained media attention. Many people actively spoke about the lack of a human resource department for providing a safe environment to complainants (it was establishing in 2017). So many victims were in dire financial and social conditions. That prioritized their job before their self-respect (the fundamental part of human nature). Authorities took no actions in the restaurant chain. So many people were actively involved in many assaults taking place even outside the restaurant. But few people were named in public.

After the case went viral-

Every company, organization, television channel, and brand association with him distancing themselves only after the complaint went viral. Even after being famous as a creep publicly and privately; this shows the lack of empathy. They also only care about profit by cashing emotions by offering themselves to be on the right side of things. Moreover, Mario did philanthropy by promoting the feeding of children, less food wastage, anti-ocean floor drilling. In one of his restaurants. He had a female executive chef and a female executive pastry chef and attributed it to be because of their skills and not gender.

Events after the initial case-

He was the head chef in president Obama’s last White House dinner party. His sexual misconducts even include rape allegations; most of these misconducts took place in the allure third-floor party room of the spotted pig restaurant, which even has cameras installed. It is infamous for drugs and sex, like having no boundaries. In 2019 he was charging with sexual assault and battery, for which, like his previous charges, he pleaded not guilty. He settled a case of tip-pooling with $5.2 million (towards 117 plaintiffs).

At the end of this legal fiasco-

It is a shame that such types of monsters who push people into having such a mentality are even allowing to have an outside court settlement of $600,000 (towards 20 employees). These people who have so much power use it to make people powerless. They do not apologize until exposed and have the guts to think that an apology with a cinnamon roll recipe will reverse their actions.

When coming out with the ordeal one has faced is celebrated, then ignoring such ordeal will remain the norm. The most depressing thing about these events is that the many victims start to think that they are lucky that they were at least not rape. They pretend that nothing happened. They make this their truth, and this turns into trauma. Many victims prefer not to be naming so that they are not remembering the worst incidents which happen to them or not to be firing from a job.