In a recent New York Times report, a group of women leveled sexual assault allegations against the Manhattan sommelier Anthony Cailan.

Cailan had worked as a beverage director at the Nolitan Hotel in downtown Manhattan since June 2018. After the sex assault allegations were published in The Times, Cailan resigned his position. He had also been employed at the restaurant attached to the hotel, the Usual, but no longer holds that position either.

Bogdan Docu, the general manager of the Nolitan, told reporters “the Usual does not tolerate any form of harassment in the workplace,” and that he had been unaware of the allegations against Cailan prior to the article’s publication.

The report alleges that Cailan has sexually assaulted or attempted to assault at least four women. In The Times, two of these women described the alleged incidents in detail and allowed their names to be published in the article.

Cailan denies these allegations, saying: “The truth is, these allegations against me are false. I look forward to the opportunity to clear my name.”

Cailan is 29 years old and was considered to be a rising star in the world of wine. Just last month, Wine & Spirits magazine named him one of the Best New Sommeliers of 2019. After the allegations were published, the magazine posted on Instagram: “We are deeply troubled by the allegations reported in The New York Times against Anthony Cailan. He was selected by his industry peers in our annual Best New Sommelier poll, and we were unaware of the allegations against him until today. Wine & Spirits does not condone sexually inappropriate behavior and we hope this will be a catalyst for change in our industry.” Cailan’s name has since been removed from the list of Best New Sommeliers.

Every industry has the potential to foster a culture of sexual harassment and systemic misogyny, and the wine industry is no exception. Some have said that there are other, more powerful people in the wine industry whose names have not yet been brought forward, who are being protected by their peers, and who victims may be afraid to name.

“I hope people don’t think that just because Anthony isn’t working at the Usual any more, we don’t still have an immense amount of work to do,” said Talitha Whidbee, who owns Vine Wine in Brooklyn. “This is just the start of a much larger conversation.”

Filing a Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Of course, sexual abuse and assault can happen anywhere, and it can be committed by anybody, even—and especially—those in positions of authority. Sexual assault has been reported in schools, in trusted organizations like the Boy Scouts of America, and in churches, as well as in a variety of industries.

A growing number of victims are coming forward with the stories of their own sexual assaults, filing lawsuits not just against their abusers, but also against any organizations that allowed the abuse to take place, or actively covered up the abuse.

If you or someone you love has been a victim of sexual abuse or assault, even if that abuse took place years ago, you may be able to join this lawsuit investigation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.