New lawsuits filed against Hereford House over tainted food

Legal troubles continue to mount for Hereford House after a former worker allegedly contaminated food at the restaurant’s Leawood location.

This week, three new lawsuits have been filed in Johnson County District Court against the Hereford House Restaurant Company of Kansas Inc. over the alleged incident.

The lawsuits are similar to five others that have been filed since Johnson County prosecutors announced they had charged 21-year-old Jace Christian Hanson of Kansas City with allegedly contaminating food at the restaurant at 5001 Town Center Drive in Leawood’s Town Center Plaza.

All eight lawsuits contend the restaurant was negligent and breached an implied warranty that its food would be safe. They also assert a strict liability claim, alleging the purportedly contaminated food was a defective product and that the restaurant should be held liable for serving it to customers.

Hanson was initially charged on April 26 with only one count of adulterating or contaminating food, which under Kansas law is a criminal threat.

Last week, prosecutors filed additional charges. 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 possessing child sexual abuse materials. The charges allege the contamination took place between April 1 and 23.

At a hearing last week, a Johnson County judge declined to lower Hanson’s bond, instead raising it to $500,000 in light of the new charges.

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Melinda Parrish told the court that not only was there possession, but evidence of a chat history among Hanson and other users online about wanting to exploit infants and children sexually.

Hanson, arrested on April 25, remains in Johnson County jail. Hanson’s next court appearance is set for July 10.

Hanson allegedly posted videos online under the name “Vandalizer” that showed a man urinating in restaurant-style food bins and rubbing food on his genitals and buttocks. The FBI traced the videos to Hanson’s cellphone, according to court documents.

Three new lawsuits

In one of the three new lawsuits, Luz Gomez of Johnson County contends she ate lunch at the restaurant at about 2:30 p.m. on April 19. Afterward, Gomez fell ill and became nauseated and had diarrhea. The symptoms were consistent with food poisoning, the lawsuit said.

In the second lawsuit, Robert Rhodes and Mary Repine, their mother, Margaret Rhodes, and a family friend, Thomas Walsh, all from Johnson County, ate at the restaurant at about 7:45 p.m. on April 8.

Following dinner, Robert Rhodes and Mary Repine began to feel ill with gastrointestinal symptoms. Robert Rhodes had diarrhea that lasted overnight into the following morning. Mary Repine had nausea and diarrhea that lasted overnight. She then vomited several times the next day.

The third lawsuit was brought by Jeanette Leatherbury of Miami County, who contends she ate dinner at the Hereford House at about 6:15 p.m. on April 10.

The following morning, she began to feel ill with nausea and sudden muscle pain. About midday on April 12, Leatherbury ate leftovers from the restaurant. She contends she fell ill afterward with severe gastrointestinal symptoms, including stomach pain, nausea, bloating, cramping and acid reflux. She also had severe diarrhea, according to the suit.

Those symptoms, which were consistent with food poisoning, continued without improvement until April 20, the lawsuit said. Leatherbury contends she still experiences lingering gastrointestinal symptoms.

After becoming aware of the alleged contamination at the restaurant, the plaintiffs in all three lawsuits contend they have suffered additional emotional and psychological distress. They also continue to experience anxiety and distress, including fear of future illnesses or medical harm as a result of eating the alleged contaminated food.

Repine contends she vomited on May 8 after becoming aware of the alleged contamination.

The plaintiffs have asked for a jury trial. They seek an unspecified amount in damages.

The Star’s Noelle Alviz-Gransee provided information for this story.

Robert A. Cronkleton is a breaking news reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering crime, courts, transportation, weather and climate. He’s been at The Star for 36 years. His skills include multimedia and data reporting and video and audio editing.
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