Last week a second lawsuit was filed against the popular fine dining establishment Brennan’s of Houston for culpability in alleged assaults by employees. According to court documents, the most recent plaintiff is a former waiter at Brennan’s. He alleges that his male supervisor, Kelly Helms, grabbed his genitals while inebriated during his shift. The plaintiff also describes regularly observing managers and other employees drinking and being high while on the job.



In January of this year, a woman filed a $20 million lawsuit against Brennan’s for being “vicariously liable” when a bartender, Sean Kerrigan, drugged the plaintiff and raped her while a manager, Chris Lockhart, assisted in the assault that took place in 2015. She alleges that Sean Kerrigan drugged her by spilling her drink and replacing it with a spiked one before the assault.

Sean Kerrigan was indicted for felony aggravated sexual assault against the plaintiff and a separate sexual assault of a different female. Kerrigan died suddenly on November 15, 2018 of unknown causes before he could be tried for assault. The suit alleges that Brennan’s did not conduct a background check of Kerrigan, who had a criminal record.

The trial date for Jane Doe’s lawsuit has been set for February 3, 2020. Both plaintiffs are being represented by the Buzbee Law Firm. Tony Buzbee is a mayoral candidate for the city of Houston.



In a statement to other news outlets Brennan’s writes that the allegations are “contrary to Brennan’s core values of care, service and respect for our guests, employees and partners” and will “defend itself vigorously in court.”

