Lawsuit: Kosher Caterer Prepared Non-Kosher Food

The owner of the kosher catering company that runs out of Lawrence’s and two other synagogues is accused of having his employees prepare non-kosher food in the kitchens and transporting it in the same truck as kosher food, a lawsuit lodged by the company’s chef and general manager alleges.

owner Scott Morrell allegedly stored and cooked foods such as shellfish and pork on the same dishes, pots and ovens as the kosher foods for more than a year, according to the lawsuit by Chef Michael Savitsky and general manager Tom Cataldo, Newsday reported.

"Everything was tainted," Cataldo told Newsday of the roughly 200 events that have been held at the facilities since September 2010. "Next to kosher meat, you would have a bucket of raw shrimp."

Morrell’s lawyer called the allegations “a fiction” and accused the plaintiffs of being used for retaliation over an unrelated dispute over a bad investment. He also said Savitsky and Cataldo were the ones who started the non-kosher catering.

A temporary restraining order was signed on Tuesday prohibiting Morrell from destroying company records or assets.