We are aware there was a problem with previous management which has since been changed, but this is totally unacceptable if any truth to it. – Representative of Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay, the fiery British chef known to Americans for being the demanding bully on "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares," is being sued by four ex-employees, Yahoo! TV reports.
Papers were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on June 13 by Jennifer Becerra, Montinique Dever, Andrea Bourke and Lauren Benge, all of whom were hourly employees. The suit was filed against Gordon Ramsay Los Angeles LP, the Fat Cow LLC and FCLA LP.
The plaintiffs allege Ramsay's restaurant, "Fat Cow," stiffed them of minimum hourly wages and overtime pay, failed to provide break times for meals and rest, and didn't pay them in a timely manner.
The lawsuit says the violations were done "maliciously, fraudulently, and oppressively, with the wrongful intention of injuring Plaintiffs ... and/or in conscious disregard for their rights."
Yahoo! TV reached out for comment with Ramsay, and his representative said that while Fat Cow has had some problems in the past, they have since been resolved.
"We are aware there was a problem with previous management which has since been changed, but this is totally unacceptable if any truth to it," Ramsay's representative told Yahoo! TV.
If the accusations are true, and Ramsay knew what was occurring, it may have really been Hell's Kitchen. If he didn't know, then you can only imagine the yelling his management team is going to take.
Either way, it seems Ramsay will be angry.
And that's not a surprise.
Michael Smith (@smithmichael8) is an intern in the news section of DeseretNews.com. A 2013 graduate of the University of Utah, he will be attending Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism in the fall.