Dear friends and former co-workers,
We are writing to you both for your support and also for the chance for your voice to be heard. Lowell is attempting to overturn the Sebastopol Planning Commission’s decision to deny his application for a change of ownership for a license to sell alcohol at his new establishment, Piala. The denial was based on two factors, one of which was the determination from the Planning Commission that “...issuance of a Use Permit would be detrimental to the health, safety, peace, morals, comfort, or general welfare of persons residing or working in the area.”
To date, we have seen no appreciable change in understanding or behavior from Lowell around the harm he has caused. We offered specific actions we would like to see from him as a show of good faith that he was willing to do the work of accountability. These included alcohol and drug rehab, donations to sexual assault prevention/response organizations, and taking time off before assuming any position of management. Our list of requests has been ignored. In a recent letter, Lowell has once again claimed he is not the man that the media portrays him to be, something that we employees know to be false. He has yet to apologize for any of his actions or expressed any remorse towards the people he has hurt. Instead, he is eager to move onward and upward, without any signs of change.
For more than a decade, Lowell has created a toxic and abusive work environment. Saying that he was unaware of the harm he caused is not a credible excuse or a valid reason to offer him yet another chance to own a business that serves alcohol and assume the same position of power he is accustomed to. It is clear that he has not learned, is not willing to learn, and is keen to regain his foothold in the community without admitting to any real wrongdoing. We do not believe that Lowell has any interest in taking action towards accountability as far as it would benefit his public persona.
We’re asking you to sign your name to this letter—as well as the restaurant you worked at and the year you started—if you counter his claim that he is a “kind, honest, and generous boss” and believe that he created a toxic workplace in all the restaurants that he had ownership in. Whether you worked for him two years ago, or twelve, your signature is important to support the victims of his actions and make sure it doesn’t happen again. If you don’t feel comfortable signing your name, please write anonymous, what restaurant you worked at, and the year.
Thank you for your support, we know the restaurant industry has been this way for years, and we’re hoping to make it better for you and future employees.
Alexandra Lopez, Lowell’s, Fern Bar, 2018
Emma Maidenberg, Lowell’s, 2018
Jesse Hom-Dawson, Lowell’s/Fern Bar/Handline, 2018
Leah Engel, Lowell’s/Handline/Fern Bar, 2015
Aaron Purtill, Lowell’s, 2009
Tyler Woodbury, Lowell’s, 2018
Rufus Van Hicks, Lowell’s, 2018
Joni Davis, Lowell’s, 2015
Alec Vlastnik, Fern Bar, 2018
Perry Austin, Lowell’s, 2013
Maria Cook, Khom Loi, 2021
Timothy Ryan, 2015
Amber Post, Handline, 2017