Celebrity Chef Johnny Iuzzini accused of sexual harassment
Johnny Iuzzini
A post shared by Johnny Iuzzini ® (@johnnyiuzzini) on Sep 24  2017 at 6:11pm PDT
Celebrity chef Johnny Iuzzini  currently a judge on “The Great American Baking Show ” says he’s “shattered and heartbroken” over recent accusations of sexual misconduct by four of his former employees.
The first woman  a pastry chef  told Mic she resigned after two years of employment at Jean-Georges  during which time  Iuzzini  would sneak up beside her and put  his  tongue in her ear — a tactic  he  repeated “three or four times.” She also said  he  would touch the employees’ rear ends with kitchen utensils or long vegetables.
A second pastry chef claims  Iuzzini  once ran up behind her and simulated a sex act on her. “He didn’t actually grind up on my butt  but his hands were on my hips ” she told Mic. “He did it for five seconds and ran out.” At the time  the chef says she didn’t think she should report the behavior  lest it ruin her career.
Two externs  who were unpaid  also reported inappropriate behavior on  Iuzzini ’s part  including his frequent requests for shoulder rubs  his penchant for crude humor  and the time he showed one of them a photo of a woman’s genitals.
One extern also says she engaged in a three-month sexual relationship with  Iuzzini  when she was 19  which began the day before she interviewed for her extern position. According to her statement to Mic  she remembers it being hard to refuse his advances. “If one person has all the power  it’s not really consent ” she said.
Two of the women who spoke to Mic believed that the management of Jean-Georges may have learned about Iuzzuni’s behavior shortly before  Iuzzini  left in 2011.  Iuzzini   however  wrote that  he  “maintains a good relationship” with  his  mentor Jean-Georges Vongerichten  and gave three months’ notice of  his  departure.
 Iuzzini  also denied that  he  suffered from a substance abuse problem  or that  he  angrily assaulted an employee with a nitrogen canister — accusations leveled against  him  by an extern and the pastry chefs  respectively — but  he  said he “takes responsibility if any of the members of my team felt uncomfortable ” even if their accusations are “inaccurate.”
Nevertheless   he  also offered an explanation for any mistakes  he  was “complicit in.”
A post shared by [TGT] ® (@johnnyiuzzini) on Sep 24  2017 at 6:11pm PDT
Celebrity chef [TGT]  currently a judge on “The Great American Baking Show ” says he’s “shattered and heartbroken” over recent accusations of sexual misconduct by four of his former employees.
The first woman  a pastry chef  told Mic she resigned after two years of employment at Jean-Georges  during which time  Iuzzini  would sneak up beside her and put  his  tongue in her ear — a tactic  he  repeated “three or four times.” She also said  he  would touch the employees’ rear ends with kitchen utensils or long vegetables.
A second pastry chef claims  Iuzzini  once ran up behind her and simulated a sex act on her. “He didn’t actually grind up on my butt  but his hands were on my hips ” she told Mic. “He did it for five seconds and ran out.” At the time  the chef says she didn’t think she should report the behavior  lest it ruin her career.
Two externs  who were unpaid  also reported inappropriate behavior on  Iuzzini ’s part  including his frequent requests for shoulder rubs  his penchant for crude humor  and the time he showed one of them a photo of a woman’s genitals.
One extern also says she engaged in a three-month sexual relationship with  Iuzzini  when she was 19  which began the day before she interviewed for her extern position. According to her statement to Mic  she remembers it being hard to refuse his advances. “If one person has all the power  it’s not really consent ” she said.
Two of the women who spoke to Mic believed that the management of Jean-Georges may have learned about Iuzzuni’s behavior shortly before  Iuzzini  left in 2011.  Iuzzini   however  wrote that  he  “maintains a good relationship” with  his  mentor Jean-Georges Vongerichten  and gave three months’ notice of  his  departure.
 Iuzzini  also denied that  he  suffered from a substance abuse problem  or that  he  angrily assaulted an employee with a nitrogen canister — accusations leveled against  him  by an extern and the pastry chefs  respectively — but  he  said he “takes responsibility if any of the members of my team felt uncomfortable ” even if their accusations are “inaccurate.”
Nevertheless   he  also offered an explanation for any mistakes  he  was “complicit in.”