Cook In Mario Batali's Restaurant Babbo Faced Racist, Homophobic Slurs: Lawsuit

GREENWICH VILLAGE, NY — A former pastry cook at one of Mario Batali's restaurants is suing the Food Network star's company, accusing his former colleagues of using racist and homophobic slurs.

Isaac Franco Nava, who worked at Batali's Greenwich Village restaurant Babbo, said he regularly faced racist and anti-gay discrimination while he worked there. Franco, who is gay and Hispanic, says that he was repeatedly called a "f----t" and a "stupid Mexican" by his coworkers while he was employed at Babbo. When he complained, management at Babbo did not take his complaints seriously and ultimately fired him in retaliation, according to his lawsuit.

Babbo, located at 110 Waverly Place, is the flagship restaurant of Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group jointly run by Batali and his partner Joe Bastianich. Franco began working as a pastry cook there in November 2015, according to his suit, which was filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court this week.

The lawsuit accuses Batali and Bastianich of "ratifying an environment that was hostile to homosexuals" by failing to act when Franco complained about his treatment.

Franco says he faced four months of discrimination and verbal abuse while working at the restaurant, before he complained in writing to his supervisor. He says a human resources representative told him the co-workers in question received "minor discipline," according to his suit. Franco alleges that when the abusive comments and behavior continued in 2016, he repeatedly asked his supervisor to take action, which she failed to do, the suit says.

On April 11, Franco complained yet again about his treatment, the suit says. Days later, he was fired by Babbo management for taking home a meal that he was told by co-workers he was free to eat, according to the lawsuit.

The suit seeks unspecified damages as well as action by the restaurant group to implement anti-discrimination training for employees. It was filed against three of Franco's former coworkers, Babbo, Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group and the group's administrative division.

Babbo declined to comment on the lawsuit to Patch.

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Credit: Dave Kotinsky / Stringer / Getty Images Entertainment.