In previous posts, we've discussed how common sexual harassment can be in the restaurant industry. Being a waiter or waitress can be a physically taxing job, and when one is subjected to repeated harassment, it can be even more exhausting.

A former waiter at a New York eatery, Babbo, claims that management, including celebrity chef Mario Batali, simply stood by and allowed co-workers to sexually harass him on the job. He's filed a lawsuit against Batali, the restaurant and two of the celebrity chef's corporations in Manhattan Criminal Court.

According to the New York Daily News, the man claims co-workers would slap his behind on a weekly basis, and grabbed his genitals on at least two occasions. He began working at the Greenwich Village restaurant in January.

The ex-employee, who is in his 20s and is apparently an aspiring actor, says he doesn't know why he was continually harassed. He claims he complained to management about the situation, but they took no action. He says Batali, his business partner and Babbo management therefore encouraged the behavior.

He also says they retaliated against him after he made complaints, including by refusing to speak to him and complaining about his work. He says the work environment made it impossible to properly do his job, the New York Daily News Reports.

The waiter apparently quit after he hurt his back when an employee startled him by grabbing his buttocks. He says he was carrying a tub into the restaurant kitchen at the time.

Source: New York Daily News, "Waiter Eugene Gibbons files sexual harassment suit against Mario Batali restaurant Babbo," Barbara Ross, Dec. 22, 2011