Several more customers have sued Hereford House Restaurant Company of Kansas Inc. after a former employee allegedly contaminated food, bringing the number of lawsuits filed in Johnson County District Court to 21, according to court records.
The new filings come after the Hereford House closed its restaurant at 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza after nearly 28 years at that location. Various customers filed the suits, some who attended dinner parties or Easter brunch, others who ate alone and a a couple who hosted a party in a reserved room.
The Johnson County District Attorney in April charged 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson after he allegedly contaminated food with bodily fluids while he briefly worked at the restaurant in Leawood.
In June, prosecutors filed additional changes. Hanson now faces 22 counts of criminal threat for allegedly contaminating food, one count of criminal damage and 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse materials.
Hanson allegedly posted videos online showing a man urinating in restaurant-style food bins and rubbing food on his buttocks and genitals. The FBI traced the videos posted under the pseudonym “Vandalizer” to Hanson’s cellphone, court documents said.
Hanson, who has been held in Johnson County jail since he was arrested on April 25 at the restaurant, allegedly admitted to contaminating food that was to be served to customers.
”I’ll just be straight up, yeah,” Hanson said, according to the affidavit. He added that he’d “just been doing stupid s–t.”
He also allegedly said he started contaminating food because he did not enjoy the job.
Hanson is scheduled to appear in court at the end of September. His bond is $500,000.
New lawsuits filed
The new lawsuits, filed late last week and earlier this week, are similar to previous ones filed against the restaurant. The plaintiffs claim they fell ill after eating at the restaurant during the period Hanson worked there.
They also contend they have suffered additional emotional and psychological distress once they became aware of the alleged contamination. They contend they continue to experience anxiety and distress, including the fear of future illnesses or medical harm as a result of eating the alleged contaminated food.
The new lawsuits were filed by Marie and Craig Scott of Shawnee, who visited the restaurant for a dinner party on April 12; Gail Thomas of Overland Park, who ate lunch at the restaurant on April 11; Cynthia Thario of Kansas City, who ate dinner at the restaurant on April 16; Corey Thomas of Sunrise Beach, Missouri, who ate lunch at the restaurant on April 24; Daniel and Jennifer Winters of Lenexa, who ate at the restaurant on April 6; Alexandria Grimes of Olathe, who met three others for Easter brunch on March 31; and Keshauna Crawford and Edward Thomas of Raytown who hosted a dinner party in a reserved room at the restaurant on April 13.
The lawsuits contend Hereford House was negligent and breached an implied warranty that its food would be safe. The lawsuits also make a strict liability claim, alleging that the contaminated food was a defective product that the restaurant served to customers. In response to several lawsuits, the Hereford House denied the allegations.
In response to the other suits, the restaurant contends it did not know that Hanson was allegedly “secretly and criminally” contaminating the food. Once it was discovered, the restaurant terminated his employment.
The Hereford House also contends that Hanson’s alleged actions were outside his scope of employment.
