Bouchon Las Vegas restaurant paying $2M to settle sexual harassment suit

The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group and its Bouchon Las Vegas location will pay $2 million to settle a federal sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced Wednesday.

KVP, LP, doing business as Bouchon Restaurant, and KRM, Inc., doing business as Thomas Keller Restaurant Group, a Yountville, Calif.-based company, agreed to the settlement after a Nevada federal judge approved the agreement July 8. The EEOC announced the settlement in a news release Wednesday.

According to the EEOC's lawsuit, since at least 2018, male supervisors and coworkers at Bouchon in Las Vegas subjected female and male employees to sexual harassment, including unwanted and repeated sexual advances, sexual comments, sexually offensive conduct and unwelcome physical contact. The EEOC alleged that Bouchon and Thomas Keller Restaurant Group failed to take appropriate action to prevent the harassment despite receiving complaints and subjected some employees to retaliation for complaining.

Under the settlement, the $2 million will be distributed to employees who worked at Bouchon Las Vegas anytime since 2018 and are eligible for payouts, as determined by the EEOC. The Thomas Keller Restaurant Group also must review its discrimination policies and training, subject to federal approval. The restaurant group must also hire an external monitor approved by the EEOC who will conduct audits, evaluate human resources practices and identify areas where complaint-handling procedures need improvement. The monitor will report on Bouchon's compliance for four years.

Bouchon is a celebrated French restaurant located inside the Venetian. Keller is the only American-born chef to receive three Michelin stars at different restaurants. He is chef and proprietor of The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon, Bar Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery and Ad Hoc.

"Sexual harassment is illegal and continues to be a problem in the restaurant industry," stated Beatriz Andre, acting regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District, which includes Las Vegas in its jurisdiction. "As it did in this action, the EEOC will continue to enforce federal law."

In response, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group stated: "Bouchon Las Vegas continues to prioritize evaluating and improving workplace health and welfare initiatives, and elected to resolve these nearly decade-old claims to dedicate resources to our staff and guests instead of litigation."

The alleged conduct violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, including sexual harassment, as well as retaliation against individuals who complain. The EEOC filed suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada after first attempting to reach a prelitigation settlement through its administrative conciliation process.

The settlement comes as the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group faces multiple lawsuits filed in 2026 by former French Laundry employees alleging labor and workplace violations.