Owner of Sweet & Vicious bar in Manhattan, will have to pay employees for sexual harassment, discrimination – NBC New York (47)

What you should know

• A Manhattan bar owner will pay $500,000 to more than a dozen current and former employees who were the targets of sexual harassment, discrimination and wage theft, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.
• Employees of the bar, called Sweet & Vicious, endured inappropriate comments about their race, sexuality and bodies and suffered unwanted sexual advances from managers and patrons, James said in announcing the settlement with the bar and its owner, Hakan Karamahmutoglu.
• Among the accusations he faces, Hakan Karamahmutoglu, the owner of a Manhattan bar, called black security guards “gang members” and called a Puerto Rican manager a “terrorist” and “Puerto Rican trash,” James said.

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NEW YORK — The owner of a Manhattan bar will pay $500,000 to more than a dozen current and former employees who were the targets of sexual harassment, discrimination and wage theft, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.

Employees of the bar, called Sweet & Vicious, endured inappropriate comments about their race, sexuality and bodies and suffered unwanted sexual advances from managers and patrons, James said in announcing the settlement with the bar and its owner, Hakan Karamahmutoglu.

The settlement is the culmination of a 16-month investigation into allegations against Karamahmutoglu and Sweet & Vicious. According to James, documents, records and interviews with current and former workers revealed a pervasive culture of ongoing discrimination and harassment.

James announced the deal at a news conference in which he played voice notes he said were from Karamahmutoglu, including one that read: “We need pretty girls, skinny girls.”

Karamahmutoglu also insulted the female employees, calling them names, including “cows,” according to James, who also said the owner also examined their appearance, commenting on their bodies and clothes.

According to the investigation, female employees were sexually harassed by male managers who made unwelcome sexual advances on them, including a manager who repeatedly found opportunities to rub up against a female employee. In addition, according to James, the waitresses were frequently harassed by violent patrons who threatened to stab, rape and beat them.

Karamahmutoglu also called black security guards “gang members” and called a Puerto Rican manager a “terrorist” and “Puerto Rican trash,” James said. The owner and managers also frequently used anti-gay slurs, according to James.

A message seeking comment was sent to Karamahmutoglu and Sweet & Vicious, which has operated in the Nolita neighborhood since 1998.

James said the bar owner laughed off female employees’ complaints of harassment and forced them to work eight-hour shifts on their feet with no breaks. Bartenders also worked unpaid overtime and saw their tips stolen, James said.

“At all times, the owner denigrated and demeaned Sweet & Vicious employees,” James said.

The Sweet & Vicious announcement came a year after James announced a $600,000 settlement with celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich for harassment at his restaurant empire.

“For too long, hospitality industry workers have been forced to endure a pervasive culture of sexual harassment and discrimination that goes unreported,” James said. “All New Yorkers should be able to go to work without fear of abuse and degradation, regardless of industry, and I am committed to continuing to support all workers against these harmful practices.”

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