Knoxville restaurateur and city mayoral candidate Mike Chase is being accused of sexual harassment in a $14 million lawsuit brought by a server at one of his Copper Cellar restaurants.

The suit, filed in Knox County Circuit Court on Wednesday, details a series of persistent, sexually explicit comments Chase, 72, allegedly made to Ana Tipton-Budzynski as she served him and two of his friends at Copper Cellar West on the night of Dec. 18.

Tipton-Budzynski, who has worked at the Kingston Pike eatery for five years, claims her complaint was never truly investigated.

The lawsuit also alleges Copper Cellar Corporation's Human Resources Director Rick Eldridge, who is named as a co-defendant, later told her "the matter has been addressed," but refused to provide Tipton-Budzynski with copies of her compliant, or any statements witnesses or Chase had given during the company's internal investigation.

"Eldridge told (Tipton-Budzynski) that the only outcome from the Copper Cellar was and would be the harasser (Defendant Chase) had been asked to stay away from her and if he didn't there was nothing that could be done because 'he's the boss!'" the suit reads.

Suit claims multiple women victimized

The lawsuit does not specify other alleged incidents or victims, although it claims multiple female employees have been subjected to such behavior by Chase for several years.

Tipton-Budzynski and her husband, Alexander Budzynski, are seeking $3.5 million in compensatory damages, as well as $10.5 million in punitive damages against Chase, Eldridge and the Copper Cellar Corporation.

The lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Budzynskis by attorney George Underwood Jr., also seeks the formation of a company task force to draft and implement a zero-tolerance anti-sexual harassment policy, a sexual harassment hotline for victims and witnesses, staff training, independent investigations of any future complaints and a means to automatically report any sexual harassment by Chase to the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Chase, who owns two Copper Cellar locations and nine Calhoun's locations among 20 restaurants in Knoxville and surrounding areas, filed paperwork in August for a 2019 Knoxville mayoral bid to replace outgoing Mayor Madeline Rogero.

Neither Chase, nor Eldridge, could be reached for comment immediately Thursday morning.