Editor’s Note: This story contains details about suicide. If you or someone you know is at risk of self-harm, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides 24-hour support at 800-273-8255.
The Star recently published our investigation into the workplace conditions inside two Shawnee bars: Drastic Measures and Wild Child. The owner of those bars is Jay Sanders, and some of his employees have accused him of abuse and inappropriate behavior.
The Star reported this story over the course of several weeks following an anonymous Reddit thread that went viral detailing allegations about Sanders’ misconduct and abuse at the two bars.
The public allegations offered The Star and readers a unique opportunity to learn more about the often undisclosed abuse and inappropriate workplace behavior that bar employees face and question what accountability looks like in such cases.
Reader response to The Star’s investigation, originally published on Sept. 15, made something very clear: The allegations coming out of these bars were well-known in Kansas City’s small restaurant industry, but it only represents one story that’s part of a larger problem in Kansas City’s restaurants in bars.
It matches what industry experts shared with The Star when reporting this story. The restaurant industry across the country is challenging and rife with workplace abuse and inappropriate behavior that includes issues like heavy drinking, inappropriate relationships, fights between employees and wage theft. Much of it goes unreported because human resource departments and union protections are rare inside of restaurants and bars, industry experts said.
If you have news tips to share with The Star about working conditions at bars and restaurants in Kansas City, please share them with us using this form.
But for this story, we specifically looked into the allegations circling two bars and the face of those acclaimed Shawnee spots, Jay Sanders. Here’s what went into The Star’s reporting.
Drastic Measures, Wild Child and their owner, Sanders, have become national darlings in the cocktail world over the last several years. Major national food media outlets like Bon Appétit and Punch named Wild Child one of the nation’s best new bars after it opened in 2023. Sanders and both of his bars scored nominations from the James Beard Awards, the Oscars of restaurants in the U.S.: Drastic Measures was a semifinalist for Outstanding Bar in 2024 and 2026 and advanced to finalist in 2023 in the same category, and Sanders in 2025 was a semifinalist in a new category, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service, for Wild Child.
The Star spoke to 11 current and former employees who have worked for Sanders and who all detailed various types of abuse and inappropriate behavior that had allegedly taken place at their workplace. Some of those employees spoke to The Star under the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation from Sanders and what it might do to their careers in the service industry and other fields.
Employees said the verbal abuse and sexual harassment were so common that it was almost expected and tolerated, a problem they say is widespread in Kansas City’s service industry.
To build a timeline of events, we reviewed numerous social media posts across multiple years from Sanders and brand accounts for Drastic Measures and Wild Child, and compared them with details shared by employees in interviews, in audio recordings and police reports provided to The Star.
Sanders sent a statement to The Star. He denied “many of the accusations” that we sent him in a text message. He also apologized for his behavior, expressed gratitude for his staff and suggested that he may depart from the bar industry for good.
The Star requested comments from Derick and Shelley Shackelford, who own construction company Shack Built, and are silent partners with ownership stakes in both Drastic Measures and Wild Child. The Shackelfords responded to The Star’s questions through a public relations representative.
The three owners also gave statements that claimed Sanders had not been by the bars in some time or involved in the day-to-day operations. The allegations against Sanders, he said, have made him consider leaving the bar industry for good. According to the Shackelfords and public records, Sanders still has ownership stakes in these bars.
Dining and Cooking