A lawsuit has been filed against a celebrity chef for allegedly firing his night cook who was taking care of his dying wife.
According to the New York Daily News, Robert Esselborn filed court papers in Manhattan Supreme Court against Chef Anthony Paris for allegedly firing him when he asked for time off to care for his dying wife.
He asked for the time off under the federal Family Leave Act.
The New York Post noted that the suit states that the chef’s wife unexpectedly fell ill in December. She was taken to a nearby hospital and doctors informed him that her vital organs were shutting down. While his wife was on life support Paris emailed him demanding a date that he could return to work. Esselborn explained that he would let him know soon.
After that, the court papers allege, that Paris sent Esselborn another email and fired him. The Chopped winner allegedly said that he could not wait and ordered Esselborn to clean out his work locker even though a human resources director had approved the leave.
His wife died the next day.
The suit said that Esselborn was eligible for family leave because he had worked over 1,250 hours. He is seeking an unspecified amount from Paris and the Crosby Street Hotel for their unfair and “outrageous” conduct.