Sex, Violence & Hospitality

Editor's note: this episode contains accounts of sexual assault.

On this week's show, we take a look at sexual harassment and abuse in the restaurant industry.

We speak with service industry leader Tyler Chauvin, who has confronted sexual harassment directly over the course of her career. Now the general manager at Trèo in New Orleans, Tyler has become an unapologetic voice for change, advocating the need to challenge industry norms.

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Then, we hear from Brett Anderson of The Times Picayune and NOLA.com who made national headlines with his exposé on the culture of sexual misconduct in the Besh Restaurant Group. Brett describes his investigation, which encompassed conversations with dozens of women who went on record with allegations of widespread sexual abuse in restaurants throughout New Orleans.

Long before the #MeToo movement became mainstream, organizations across the world have been working to confront the endemic problem of sexual abuse. We hear a presentation from one such group, Alteristic. In 2017, Alteristic's Kristen Parks hosted a seminar at Tales of the Cocktail that focused on strategies to prevent sexual violence in restaurants, bars, and beyond.

And we conclude with a follow-up conversation with Tyler Chauvin. She provides some insight into how service industry professionals and customers alike can act as allies to prevent abuse in restaurants and bars.