Leawood Hereford House to close following food contamination case [Video]

An embattled Leawood restaurant will close its doors this weekend after months of financial strain stemming from the arrest of a former employee who stands accused of contaminating food. On Thursday, the Hereford House in Leawood announced that its final night of service will be Saturday, August 3. At least nine lawsuits have been filed against the restaurant since the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office charged a man with contaminating food at the Leawood location.The civil lawsuits began piling up following the arrest of former Hereford House kitchen staffer Jace Hanson in April. The 21-year-old Kansas City, Missouri, man faces 33 felony charges for allegedly contaminating food in the kitchen by urinating and rubbing his genitals on it and then posting videos of those acts online. 10 of the felony charges are also connected to alleged child sexual abuse material found in Hanson’s possession during the investigation.The charges against Hanson …