East Hampton caterer sued by former manager alleging sexual harassment by owner, partner

A former manager of an East End catering business was forced to quit her job after retaliation for speaking out against sexual harassment by the owner and the owner's romantic and business partner, a lawsuit alleges.

Emma Beudert left her position as a catering operations manager at East Hampton Kitchen after owner Annie Washburn and her partner, Michael Castiglione, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with her and propositioned her subordinates, according to a suit filed in Suffolk County Supreme Court last month.

"These interactions continued for months, and Ms. Beudert incessantly expressed her discomfort with said conversations, and asked for a level of professionalism to be maintained at work, to little or no avail," the lawsuit said.

After Beudert repeatedly rejected the couple’s "disruptive, unlawful and predatory" behavior that constituted a "hostile work environment," Washburn retaliated with an "impossible workload," according to the complaint.

Beudert is seeking economic damages for lost wages and benefits, as well as damages for "shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and mental distress," for which she "sought medical and psychiatric help," according to the lawsuit. She has "severe anxiety about her future and the ability to support herself" and suffered "harm to her employability and earning capacity."

Beudert's Manhattan-based attorney, Annette Aletor, did not respond to Newsday’s request for comment.

When reached by telephone Thursday afternoon, Michael Garabedian, the Patchogue-based defense attorney representing the catering business, Castiglione and Washburn, said he was "confident that the case is going to be dismissed." He described the accusations against his clients as "false charges," and said it was "too early" in the case to elaborate.

The allegedly unwelcome behavior began the week Beudert was hired in April 2024, according to the lawsuit. During a van ride to Restaurant Depot, Washburn began discussing her sex life with Beudert, who "expressed ... that this was not an appropriate or professional conversation," the complaint said.

The complaint detailed several attempts by Castiglione and Washburn to invite Beudert’s staff into their "open relationship," the complaint alleges. 

Beudert made multiple requests to Washburn to speak with Castiglione regarding his propositions to her staff, according to the complaint.

"When she followed up with her request, Ms. Washburn stated that she wasn’t sure how to talk to Mr. Castiglione about it," the lawsuit said.

After several instances in which Beudert "denied" the couple’s "advances" and "vocalized her disapproval of them propositioning her staff, the conditions of her work environment unequivocally changed in direct retaliation, which prompted her to resign," the complaint said.

Washburn retaliated by giving Beudert an "impossible workload" and failing to give her adequate help, according to the lawsuit. The catering owner also "joined several staff members in teasing her and calling her names, such as ‘Cinderella,’ alluding to her extreme workload and unfair work environment."

The complaint did not state when Beudert resigned from East Hampton Kitchen.