Considering Mario Batali in a #MeToo allegation era

I’ve always felt some civic pride that Seattle could claim celebrity chef Mario Batali as its own. For years when his name was mentioned I would pipe up, “You know his family still lives here and runs Salumi, the artisanal salami business and sandwich shop.”

Last year I was in New York and went out of my way to eat at Mario’s One Michelin Star restaurant La Sirena. It was an amazing meal.

But now, when you look it up on Eater’s Michelin Guide it says, “Editor’s note: Mario Batali, a part-owner, has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women.”

RELATED: Creating an inclusive image of sexual misconduct

There’s more bad news for Batali. “60 Minutes” aired a devastating piece last weekend that included interviews with a string of women who all say that they were abused in one form or another by Mario Batali. The NYPD has also confirmed there is a current criminal case being investigated involving a woman who claimed to be drugged and sexually assaulted by Batali.

The “60 Minutes” piece claims there was video tape of the incident seen by multiple witnesses.

I guess I could be cynical and say, “I knew it. #MeToo. I’m not shocked by anything now.”

But if I’m honest, I was hoping that this was some kind of explainable gray area. I was hoping people would come back and say something like “Mario Batali made a few unwanted passes when the wine was flowing. He’s apologized to the women involved and they have worked it out.”

Turns out I was wrong. If these allegations are true, then I completely failed to see the dark side of this man who I admired. I enjoyed his TV shows, purchased his cook books, and patronized his restaurants. I have a vivid memory of listening to Mario Batali being interviewed for a podcast I like and walking away from it thinking he was more impressive than ever.

What to do about Mario Batali

So what should my response be when it turns out someone I admired from afar may be at best seriously flawed and at worst a sexual predator?

I’ve learned this past year that this is the moment that I should stop thinking about Mario Batali. Instead, I should start thinking about the women involved in this story. Start thinking about their struggle and their justice. If a crime was committed, then punishment should be doled out. These brave women came forward to tell their stories. They should be compensated for the pain and humiliation they were forced to live through.

Because for each of these women victimized by a celebrity chef, there are thousands of women victimized by non-celebrities. Their story will not air on “60 Minutes.” They deserve justice, too.

Hopefully, seeing powerful men brought to justice will empower them to tell their stories too.

You can hear “What are we talking about here?” everyday at 4:45 p.m. on 97.3 FM.

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