A Facebook post published on Aug. 13 has sparked concern among students and parents of the university.
The post was published by On Scene Media New Haven County, a local media company that covers news in and around New Haven. The post highlighted a letter filled with concerns from an anonymous source alleging unsanitary conditions and the mistreatment of employees that was submitted to On Scene Media’s tipline. The letter alleged that several higher-ups abuse their power.
“There have been numerous unjustifiable write-ups [of] workers,” the tipper claims. The letters author also described poor productivity and a lack of assistance from supervisors and managers alike: “Some of the supervisors and managers just sit there and do nothing to help the staff regardless of the volume of students in the cafeteria.”
The letter also alleged a lack of cleanliness and broken equipment. “All stations still do not have the necessary cleaning supplies like brooms and dustpans,” the letter stated. “Also, some sinks in Marketplace do not even work (and you call this a private school?), but we put all this money in Ucook (about as useful as diet water).”
In the same letter, the author directs attention to Sodexo’s general manager for their University of New Haven operations.
“The firing of general manager Ivan Dominguez should happen immediately after years of not caring about his workers, especially no recognition or sympathy of the recent death of an employee.” While there is no Ivan Dominguez on staff, this statement is believed to be about Juan Dominguez, general manager for the university’s dining halls.
When reached directly for comment, Dominguez declined to comment on any specific allegations, citing restrictions on commenting for the media by Sodexo, instead explaining the general process for addressing issues like these.
“We normally discuss the incident with the university, investigate and develop an action plan to prevent the incident from happening again,” said Dominguez.
Students who saw the post expressed that this is a concern they had before seeing the photos of the unsanitary conditions.
“I don’t go to the dining hall [Marketplace] that often because it has upset my stomach multiple times,” said sophomore Cayla Riordan. “I remember seeing the photos from the kitchen and just thinking ‘Oh!’ Riordan was unaware of any apparent mistreatment of staff, but expressed discontent with the allegations. “I don’t know anything about the mistreatment of workers, but if it’s as bad as they’re saying, I’m very alarmed and management should be replaced.”
The post has gained traction among the local community, reaching 641 reactions and 231 shares.
Some commenters expressed indifference to the post.
“Honestly, this isn’t awful. The only concerning thing really [would] be the tipped over fruit but if you go into most restaurants you’ll find worse,” said Shannon Criscuolo, a commenter from North Stonington.
While Sodexo has no specific updates for the university’s services, they are investigating the issue. “Sodexo at the University of New Haven is committed to delivering a best-in-class dining experience, grounded in quality, safety, and operational excellence. We take all concerns seriously and thoroughly investigate any allegations to ensure they are addressed accurately and appropriately,” said a spokesperson for the company.
