Tim Dearing News Today

The restaurant community continues to reel in the wake of abuse allegations against Boston chef and restaurateur Barbara Lynch. The accusations are raising broader questions about restaurant culture, and its impact on workers and their mental health. And some in the industry are looking towards solutions.

Several workers accused Barbara Lynch, who owns several award-winning restaurants in Greater Boston, of physical, verbal and sexual abuse, according to recent news reports, claiming she frequently got drunk inside her own restaurants and bars while on and off the clock.

It's the end of the semester at Northeastern, so you'll have to forgive me for weighing in rather late about the remarkably similar stories that The New York Times (free link) and The Boston Globe published about Barbara Lynch, a celebrity chef whose abusive behavior has finally caught up with her. Although I'm speculating, what…

Reports from The New York Times and The Boston Globe cite over a dozen former employees, alleging years of verbal and physical harassment.

The chef has spoken out against sexism and abuse, but many former cooks and staff members say she has verbally and physically harassed workers for decades.

Two deaths on the staff at Menton, and the famous chef’s response, are triggering a reckoning in one of Boston’s best-known restaurant groups.

Staff at Barbara Lynchs restaurants have turned against her, accusing her of being a drunk who abused her power to sexually touch them and go on aggressive rants.

Two separate reports published by the New York Times and the Boston Globe include accusations of explosive outbursts and inappropriate physical contact from Lynch