How Restaurants Are Avoiding Harassment Charges

That there’s abuse behind the scenes in restaurant isn’t news. Within the chef community, the news is that people are surprised to hear about it.

The true scale of the issue has yet to be revealed, though it’s been hinted at in details of the behavior of some of the country’s highest-profile food figures, such as Spotted Pig restaurateur Ken Friedman and chefs John Besh and Mario Batali. Accounts include incidents of groping, stalking, abuse, and even industry blackmail. Almost everyone agrees this is just the beginning.

Photographer: PhotoAlto/Getty Images

The potential price tag for these harassment cases to restaurants is quite ...