Local Restaurant Accused of Sexual Harassment, Racial Discrimination, Wage Theft
Storming Crab in Vestal, NY is a new restaurant that’s quickly creating a reputation for itself
Restaurants are not known for being kind to women employees. If you know a woman who’s worked in the food service industry, then you likely know someone who’s experienced or witnessed extreme harassment.
While it is not uncommon for women to experience harassment in restaurants, the sheer number of complaints that have arisen in the 9-or-so weeks since Storming Crab’s Vestal, NY location opened is raising some eyebrows locally. Multiple current and former staffers have filed complaints due to concerns that women (particularly young women and women of color) are vulnerable to what is being described as a “culture of harm.”
Additionally, despite its short tenure, Storming Crab’s Vestal location has already been reported to the Department of Labor for several instances of discrimination.
Some of the more egregious claims are as follows:
1) Sexual Misconduct From Senior Management
Staff have reported direct sexual harassment from the Corporate Manager (photographed), who oversees the Vestal restaurant and 18 other locations. This harassment includes unwanted touching, unwanted comments regarding the bodies of women staffers, and verbal declarations of wanting to have sex with women staffers.
Interviewed current and former staff stated this manager was inappropriate on several occasions, especially in the weeks leading up to Halloween. They allege he regularly took young women staff out drinking late after work and made a habit of using his position and status to push the boundaries of a professional relationship — essentially exploiting his “nice guy” persona to gain access to young women employees. If staff were not receptive to this manager’s seemingly inappropriate behavior they were often terminated.
2) Staff Denied Access to Menstrual Products
Staff were not permitted to bring menstrual products to work, and a communal supply of new products was thrown out by a male manager because, according to employees, he found them “gross.” Staff were told that menstrual products had to be left in their vehicles, which posed a problem since not all staff have vehicles, and since it’s not practical (or legal) to require employees to first go outside in order to address menstruation. This incident was reported to the Labor Board and the policy was eventually addressed by management.
3) Nearly All Black and Brown Staffers Have Been Fired
At least 5 women of color were terminated within weeks of Storming Crab opening, with no explanation given aside from “not being a good fit” — a common phrase used against Black and brown women in the workplace. Not coincidentally, all of these women were terminated after the restaurant came under fire for not erasing “Black Lives Matter” verbiage scrawled on the mural-style walls of the restaurant. Despite the BLM tags and public support of “equal rights,” the current manager is reportedly a vocal Trump supporter and anti-vaxxer who makes her politics known in the workplace. In short, the culture at Vestal’s Storming Crab is frequently regarded as unwelcoming to PoC staffers, even though the restaurant benefits from customers occasionally writing progressive messaging on the walls.
4) Rampant Wage Theft
Storming Crab has been reported for stealing wages by failing to pay staff the minimum of 4 hours, as required by New York State, for employees sent home early or “cut” due to modified staffing needs. When staff bring this wage theft to the attention of management, they are reportedly ignored and, in some instances, terminated.
These are just a few of the claims that have been reported and documented by staff at Storming Crab in Vestal. Other staff have also reported being berated and verbally abused by management in front of fellow employees — both in person and in company group chats.
Skeptics don’t have to go far to research these claims on their own — like this one — which are being shared publicly on social media. Victims have been extremely thorough in documenting, recording, and logging evidence of the alleged misconduct in order to protect themselves and others from retaliation.
Generally, an establishment accused of misconduct will deny all claims and threaten to sue parties who have come forward with allegations. Based on the evidence and severity of these accusations, however, a civil or criminal determination would likely not be in Storming Crab’s favor.
If you or anyone you know has been victimized by owners or management at Storming Crab, violations can be reported directly to New York State here, or by calling 1–888–469–7365. You can also send an email to roderickdouglassjr@gmail.com.
-R.D.
Update 12/1/2020: About a half dozen employees quit and walked out of Storming Crab Vestal, NY this afternoon, after current and former co-workers came forward earlier this week with allegations of sexual harassment, racism, and wage theft. The employees resigned in solidarity with their colleagues, with many confirming experiencing workplace misconduct from senior management—which included employees being denied access to menstrual products.
Staffers have coordinated a rally and menstrual product drive in the Town Square Plaza (near Storming Crab), Saturday at 5:30pm, to raise awareness about the conditions at the establishment and support food service workers.
A fund has also been set up to help employees during this time of transition. Donations can be made here: https://paypal.me/pools/c/8uO0RrYt3J
Update 12/4/2020: Storming Crab Vestal responded on their Facebook page, but quickly removed the post (screenshot below).
Note: This article previously identified an accused manager’s title as “General Manager,” but that title has since been corrected to “Corporate Manager.”
