“At no time was there an agreement or discussion with Chef Mario Batali”

(Chicago) — Due to Women Employed’s (WE) long history of combatting sexual harassment, Summer Garden Food Manufacturing reached out to WE last year about donating proceeds from the sale of its Mario Batali-labeled products to our organization. At no time did Women Employed have a partnership, agreement, or discussion with Chef Mario Batali, who has been accused of sexual misconduct by a number of women. While WE appreciates that Summer Garden Food Manufacturing reached out to us, this donation did not move forward because distributors did not want to be associated with Batali and pulled the product from their shelves. Consequently, WE has received no proceeds from the sale of his products.

Women Employed had no knowledge that a statement would be put up on MarioBataliSauces.com. We agreed to a statement which was put up on SummerGardenFood.com and then taken down in light of the donation not moving forward.

We are appalled by the latest reports of Mario Batali’s behavior, which are indicative of the widespread incidence of sexual harassment and violence against women in every industry. Women Employed stands with all women who have been harassed and victimized and continues to work every day to eliminate sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based discrimination that still exist in workplaces across America.

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About Women Employed

Since 1973, WE has been on the forefront of every major advancement for working women—from winning family and medical leave and fair pay legislation, to outlawing sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination, and opening doors to quality education and training programs through financial aid and other supports. Guided by the belief that all of us benefit from women’s economic equity, WE works towards a society in which women are treated fairly in the workplace, are able to attain the skills they need for the jobs they want, and are respected for the work they do.

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