Il Fornaio to pay $3 million to settle sexual harassment lawsuit
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Company officials reportedly denied the allegations.Photo: Shutterstock
The Italian casual-dining chain Il Fornaio has agreed to pay $3 million to settle a sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit.
The 2022 lawsuit was filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of a class of female employees, many of whom were teenagers, who alleged they were harassed by supervisors across Il Fornaio’s restaurant locations.
The charges included forceful groping in restaurant bathrooms, multiple incidents of grabbing the women’s private parts, requests for sexual favors and explicit references to sexual activities, according to the EEOC.
When the women complained, Il Fornaio failed to stop it and retaliated against many of the workers. As a result, several of the employees had “no choice but to resign,” the EEOC said in announcing the settlement.
“Sexual harassment continues to be a widespread issue in the restaurant industry, and during this case, we learned of at least 100 women negatively affected by Il Fornaio’s work environment,” said Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles district. “Through this settlement, we hope Il Fornaio will take meaningful steps to prevent sexual harassment and respond promptly and effectively when complaints arise.”
The 15-unit Il Fornaio is owned by Tokyo-based Create Restaurant Group, though the brand is based in Corte Madera, California. In the U.S., the group also owns the bakery-café chain Wildflower, and earlier this year it acquired Nova Restaurant Group, based in Minneapolis.
Matt Foley, director of marketing for Il Fornaio, said in a statement that the company denies the allegations, saying the company did take steps to prevent harassment, took steps to correct it, and that there was no companywide pattern or practice of discrimination, harassment or retaliation. The settlement should not be construed as guilt.
“Il Fornaio takes harassment seriously and will continue to do everything possible to prevent and eliminate harassment in the workplace against all workers,” he said in a statement. “The company prides itself on fostering a positive working environment for its employees, which is reflected in the high number of long-term employees and the low turnover rate for the industry.”
He added that the chain entered into the settlement “to avoid the burden, expense, and uncertainty of continued litigation, and has increased its efforts to prevent and eliminate harassment and discrimination of all kinds in the workplace.”
