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A Hereford House employee has been charged with 33 felony counts related to alleged acts of intentional food contamination at the restaurant’s Leawood location near Kansas City, Missouri. After employment of around three weeks, lawsuits are rolling in against the restaurant for the alleged acts.
What took place is something out of a movie. The food worker, Jace Hanson, is accused of acting out some of the most offensive parts of the movie Waiting. Only this was no Shenaniganz, and he is no Dane Cook or Ryan Reynolds.
This was real life, with real body parts and fluids, on real people’s food. Real gross!
Jace Hanson, a Hereford House employee is accused of gross acts of intentional food contamination. Heavy on the “gross.”
The food worker allegedly contaminated food in the Hereford House Leawood kitchen by urinating, touching food with his feet, and rubbing his genitals on it as well as posting videos of himself doing it online. These videos, posted under the username “Vandalizer” included videos of a worker urinating in restaurant-style food bins, using feet to touch food items, and pressing his penis and buttocks against food.
This information came to light after the FBI received a tip, alerting them of possible contamination and the videos online of those acts.
Hanson was arrested in April and charged with 33 felonies. In addition to the counts of alleged acts of contaminating food, an additional 10 charges of possessing child sexual abuse material have been added.
Several civil lawsuits have been filed by customers claiming to have become sick after eating at the restaurant during the period of Hanson’s employment.
The accused admitted to investigators that these activities were at the request of men he met online through social connecting apps like Grindr and Sniffy’s. Hanson claimed they requested videos of him contaminated food.
Lawsuits in foodborne illness cases have begun to surface. While Leawood Police indicate tests results showed Hanson had no infectious diseases posing a risk to customers, the alleged unsanitary acts could still be responsible for illness.
When Leawood police asked the public to reach out if they became sick after eating at the restaurant between March 26 and April 25, calls came in. Hundreds of them!
Bare hand and bare… Well. Other things. Can spread bacterial and viral illnesses to those consuming the food.
Contact with feet, buttocks, and genitals can transfer harmful bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria and other pathogens to food, leading to food poisoning.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning include:
Complications such as blood infections, a type of kidney failure known as hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), reactive arthritis, an autoimmune response known as Guillain Barré syndrome that causes paralysis, chronic irritable bowel syndrome, and others are possible.
It is an unfortunate reality that one bad actor could taint the reputation of a multi-location restaurant group. But it is a truth, nonetheless.
Following the arrest, the restaurant explains that they took immediate action and cooperated with investigators.
“[Hereford House] immediately took all measures and steps to thoroughly clean and sanitize the kitchen in accordance with health department guidelines,” said a statement made by the restaurant.
Regardless, both the restaurant group’s finances and reputation took a hit.
Due to the financial strain of the situation, the Leawood location closed their doors on August 3, 2024. Other Hereford House locations in Independence, Shawnee, and Zona Rosa remain open.
If you are like me, you might be thinking about how something like this can happen. Was the restaurant staffed so poorly that these acts went unnoticed? Where was the food manager on duty? Did other employees see what was going on and did not report it?
How were these alleged acts taking place over a period of weeks, only to be discovered by an FBI tip.
It makes me look at the garlic salt on my steak and cheese on my garlic bread with skepticism after “Waiting” for my food on my next meal out. This is one of those “if you know, you know,” references. If you don’t know, then be glad for it!
This latest press has been the latest bump on the dark road of the restaurant’s history. It is not the first time Hereford House restaurants have made the news.
In 2008, the original downtown Kansas City restaurant burned down. But this was no accidental fire. The restaurant’s former owner, Rodney J. Anderson, along with two co-workers, Vincent Pisciotta and Mark Sorrentino were sentenced to federal prison in an arson case where they were convicted of intentionally setting fire to the building in order to collect insurance money.
When you dine out, you expect that the food is prepared safely according to established health code requirements. You expect that the ingredients are fresh and acquired from a reputable supplier. That the employees will handle the food safely. You expect that food is cooked to an appropriate temperature. And lastly, you expect that the food has not touched an employee’s private parts.
None of these are big asks.
When any of those lines of trust are broken, people get sick.
If you’ve become sick after eating potentially tainted food at Hereford House and wish to make a legal claim for financial compensation, The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has a food poisoning lawyer that can help. The Lange Law Firm, PLLC has successfully won millions of dollars in products liability and food poisoning cases, and they can help you too.
Call (833) 330-3663 or send an email for a free, no obligation consultation to go over the details of your situation to determine if you have a legal case. Don’t wait. Call today to get the justice you deserve.
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)
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