![]() ![]() ![]() Bruno told the court Monday that Minnillo worked with Scott-Allen previously in New York and didn't want to hire her because of her performance. Minnillo and the two restaurants are named as defendants in the lawsuit.ĭefense attorney Michael Bruno pointed to the March email from Minnillo as proof that there was no discrimination involved in their decision making, the Chronicle reported. Asked if they planned to deny her a job after the interview, he answered: "Yes." "We both agreed, she is going to sue us for pregnancy discrimination," Minnillo said during the deposition. He added Secviar recommended they go through the motions of holding the interview to avoid a lawsuit. "No, I didn't," he said in an excerpt of the video provided to The Associated Press. In it, Minillo is asked if he wanted to hire Scott-Allen after learning she was pregnant. Scott-Allen's lawyers showed a video of the deposition during Monday's opening statements. Minnillo addressed the interview during an April deposition. Scott-Allen's lawsuit alleges Secviar and Minnillo devised a plan to get rid of her by setting up a "sham interview" that would result in her being declared "not the right fit" for the French Laundry. "What was committed verbally or in writing?" "Well, unfortunately not much we can do," Julie Secviar, head of HR for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, replied in an email, cited in court filings. "Apparently she is pregnant," Minnillo wrote in a March 1, 2016, email to the company's head of human resources, cited in court filings. ![]() In the interim, she learned she was pregnant and informed her bosses, who discussed it on company email. Scott-Allen returned to New York and hammered out details of moving to the California restaurant, eventually filling out the company's internal transfer form in February 2016 and agreeing to start her new position that April, the lawsuit says. A Thomas Keller Restaurant Group spokesman, Pierre Rougier, said the company cannot comment on pending litigation. Keller was named as an individual defendant because he owns and controls the two restaurants. In the case of Scott-Allen, "they found out she was pregnant and figured out a way to backpedal on" a job transfer, she said. She said the case will highlight antiquated traditions in the fine dining world where men are favored for high-paying "front of the house" jobs and seen as more suitable to interact with high-paying guests. French laundry restaurant trial#"This is one of the last bastions where it is OK for women to be discriminated against," Minnard said ahead of the trial in Napa County Superior Court. ![]() Vanessa Scott-Allen is seeking $5 million in damages for allegations that include sex discrimination and violation of pregnancy disability leave and says she hopes her trial, which started Monday, will draw attention to a "culture of misogyny in fine dining," said her attorney, Carla Minnard. SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A former employee of celebrated chef Thomas Keller is suing him and his three-star Michelin restaurants - Per Se in New York and the French Laundry in California - for discrimination, saying she was denied a job transfer and ultimately let go because she was pregnant. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |