A Former Employee of Polo Bar Is Suing for Alleged Sexual Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
One of the most exclusive bars in the city — The Polo Bar, which opened at 1 E. 55th Street, at Fifth Avenue, in 2015 — is being sued by a former employee. The ex-server and bartender claims that the Ralph Lauren-branded restaurant, a haunt for the likes of Jon Hamm, the Clintons, Drew Barrymore, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Lopez, allegedly fosters a culture that tolerates widespread sexual discrimination and harassment; sexual assault; rampant drug use and alcohol consumption at work; and retaliation against employees who complain to human resources, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this week. The plaintiff demands a trial and seeks lost wages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.
Frank Nobiletti, a veteran of the hospitality industry, worked as a server and bartender at the Polo Bar for seven years beginning in 2017. He claims he experienced 'terrible sexual harassment' after a manager allegedly outed him as bisexual. The issues escalated after the restaurant reopened post-COVID in 2021, at which point, he claims, coworkers began verbally harassing him, making sexually explicit comments, including remarks about wanting to watch him have sex with his wife.
Nobiletti describes alleged incidents of sexual assault, including two involving managers, with one allegedly touching his inner thigh and the other grabbing his butt. The lawsuit also claims those same managers were not disciplined, and one was promoted despite allegedly allowing harassment.
The lawsuit also outlines an allegedly hostile work environment for women, claiming multiple incidents 'upon information and belief,' though female employees aren't a part of the lawsuit. The suit claims one long-time server showed nude photos of women they were dating to employees and that 'multiple female staff members' complained about a so-called 'Rating Game' of female customers' attractiveness. Some male servers also allegedly joked about 'putting it in' with a particular coworker. When employees reported these concerns, human resources allegedly failed to act, according to the lawsuit. Some managers regularly yelled at staff, threatened to fire them, or falsely accused them of misconduct, according to the lawsuit. One manager allegedly 'frequently condescended to female managers in front of other staff,' with no disciplinary action.
The suit further claims that Nobiletti reached out to HR — both personally and through legal counsel — starting in fall 2023. In February 2024, he was fired for drinking on the job. Nobiletti contends the firing was retaliatory and that drug and alcohol use among staff had long gone unchecked. The lawsuit alleges, 'management and staff regularly drank alcohol and used illegal drugs during work hours with little to no consequences.' One server, the suit claims, was so drunk they couldn't finish their shift and faced little repercussion. The suit also claims an intoxicated manager allegedly punched a door while threatening a coworker. The restaurant's wine room was reportedly a frequent site of cocaine use, according to the lawsuit, with one employee allegedly acting as a dealer.
At private events, the lawsuit claims that 'with management's knowledge and approval,' employees consumed alcohol meant for customers. In some cases, staff allegedly charged clients extra, then drank the difference. One employee is accused of 'fraudulently altering customers' tips if he felt the tip was inadequate.' The lawsuit claims that 'upon information and belief,' this employee was not disciplined until 2023 – despite that he allegedly had been altering tips since 2015.
The Polo Bar refutes Nobiletti's allegations. 'We have high standards for how employees conduct themselves and no tolerance for misconduct, so we take swift action when these standards are not met,' the restaurant said in a statement to Eater. 'This includes Mr. Nobiletti's termination that was based on clear evidence of his misconduct. Because we take all employee-related concerns seriously, we thoroughly investigated Mr. Nobiletti's allegations and determined they have no merit.' The Polo Bar has not yet filed a response to the complaint.
A spokesperson continued that Nobiletti's attorneys were sent a letter last fall 'detailing his behavior following his termination that made Polo Bar employees uncomfortable.' Nobiletti has not had the opportunity to respond. Since 2020, Polo Bar has been managed by Apicii LLC. Before that, the restaurant was run by Gibsons Restaurant Group.
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