Charisse Jones

USA TODAY

After news broke that an executive was indicted on a drug charge, his employer, Chipotle, quickly put Mark Crumpacker on administrative leave.

That was the prudent move to allow the beleaguered seller of Mexican fare to focus on its efforts to restore its brand, human resources experts say.

Crumpacker, Chipotle’s chief creative and development officer, was one of several alleged drug buyers charged by the Manhattan District Attorney this week in a multiple count indictment.

Chipotle, whose reputation and stock price have taken a major hit in the wake of several food scares, said in a statement, “At the moment, we know very little about these charges. Due to the nature of the situation, Mark has been placed on administrative leave. We made this decision in order to remain focused on the operation of our business and to allow Mark to focus on these personal matters. Mark’s responsibilities have been assigned to other senior managers in his absence.’’

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The 97-count indictment charges Crumpacker and several others with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a misdemeanor. Many names, including Crumpacker’s, are redacted in the court document because they have not appeared in court to answer the charges.

Though Crumpacker’s position indicates he plays a key role in Chipotle’s efforts to restore its image and sales, Edward Yost of the Society for Human Resource Management says it made sense for Chipotle to allow Crumpacker time to address his personal issue while the company tends to its daily operations.

“You want to distance yourself from the distraction as an organization by and large," Yost says. Though the employee is “innocent until proven guilty ... if he’s coming into the office every day, it’s going to be a topic of conversation, (with) tons of phone calls that would potentially occur that would distract him from doing his job, as well as everybody else around him. So it's allowing (the employee) the distance and freedom to go out there and manage this circumstance themselves, and if they’re exonerated, you have the option of welcoming them back in."

Also charged was Katherine Welnhofer, who according to The Wall Street Journal, is a producer with the Fox Business Network. A Fox Business Network spokeswoman could not be reached for comment.

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When an employee is accused of an illegal or unethical act, it can sully the company's image, particularly if the staff member has responsibilities at the highest corporate levels.

“If you’re talking CEO or CFO ... then the automatic thought process to investors and employees is concern about the decision-making of those individuals,’’ Yost says. “If it’s drugs or gambling or something like that, there’s also potentially an ancillary concern about ... should (we) be looking at the books to see if there’s potentially been some embezzlement to finance those habits? So yes, it can certainly erode confidence of investors and employees alike."

Chipotle has been plagued with health-related issues involving its food and employees. In January, the restaurant chain said it was served with a federal grand jury subpoena over its handling of a norovirus outbreak five months earlier in California, which sickened more than 200 people, including 18 employees. In March, a Chipotle outside Boston was temporarily shuttered after an employee tested positive for the highly contagious norovirus, which can lead to nausea, pain and vomiting.

After sales at stores open at least a year plummeted nearly 30% in the first quarter, Chipotle offered several promotions to reassure investors and win back customers. They have included the giveaway of more than 6 million burritos or burrito bowls, a deal in which customers could buy one item and get another free and, starting this week, a summertime loyalty offering dubbed “Chiptopia" that will reward diners for their number of visits. At its lowest level, customers who purchase four burritos or other entrees get a fifth one at no cost.

While such efforts are underway, some investors or employees could be rattled when a marketing executive finds himself in trouble.

“It could still cause some concern about the decision-making process,’’ Yost says. “Chiptole has had their challenges this year. ... Now there may by concern about whether or not this is the right marketing campaign."