Dozens of Workers Detail Sexual Misconduct at Applebee’s, IHOP Franchises

As the #MeToo movement has swept across the restaurant industry, business partners and television networks have moved to cut ties with high-profile figures such as Mario Batali and Johnny Iuzzini. But while sexual misconduct complaints involving celebrity chefs have made headlines galore, countless other incidents at less glitzy restaurants have gone unpublicized.

An investigation by Vox discovered that of the 7,000 sexual harassment complaints reviewed last year by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, more than 60 — dating to 2010 — were filed by female employees of IHOP and Applebee’s.

Some of those complaints have resulted in lawsuits: Most sexual harassment complaints against workplaces end up being settled out of court, but Vox found that “IHOP and Applebee’s were the only restaurant chains sued at least four times for sexual harassment.” Numerous federal lawsuits have been filed against individual Applebee’s and IHOP franchise owners, with several reaching settlements, at least one currently in arbitration, and others still pending. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has also filed a federal class-action lawsuit against one franchise owner.

The federal EEOC lawsuit, filed on behalf of 11 employees, involves two Illinois IHOP restaurants owned by franchisee Khalid Ramadan. The suit details incidents such as a male manager allegedly threatening violence against a young female employee if she didn’t have sex with him; a male cook claims a different manager repeatedly grabbed his buttocks and crotch. All the complainants also accuse management of ignoring their complaints or even condoning the behavior. The suit is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.

Applebee’s and IHOP parent company DineEquity has not been named as a defendant in any of the suits; as Vox notes, it can be difficult to hold a franchise company owner responsible for the actions of its franchisees, who are considered independent business owners. The corporation released a statement that read in part, “Each franchisee establishes and adheres to their own strict policies against harassment in the workplace.”

It’s no secret that sexual misconduct runs rampant in restaurants. More sexual harassment complaints are filed with the EEOC by workers in the restaurant industry than any other sector, as Vox points out, and countless more incidents have likely gone unreported: 90 percent of women that work in the food industry have reported being sexually harassed at work, according to the Restaurant Opportunities Center.

• More Than 60 Women Filed Sexual Harassment Complaints Against IHOP, Applebee’s [Vox]