Former employee sues Polo Bar for sexual assault
A former employee has sued Ralph Lauren’s exclusive New York venue, the Polo Bar, alleging a “toxic culture” of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and widespread drug and alcohol use.
The complaint, filed by Frank Nobiletti in the US District Court Southern District of New York on 22 July, claims that management ignored repeated reports of misconduct.
The Polo Bar opened in 2015 and has gained a reputation for its exclusivity, with the lawsuit claiming it is “nearly impossible” for most people to get a reservation. Its celebrity regulars include Drew Barrymore, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Lopez.
Apicii LLC has managed the Polo Bar since February 2020.
Sexual harassment claims
Nobiletti began working at the Polo Bar in early 2017. He claims he was outed as bisexual by a manager, after which he became “fair game” for harassment and assault.
He alleges that on 14 March 2022, Michael Lewis, who was the private dining and events manager at the time, allegedly invited Nobiletti out for drinks to discuss a promotion, referenced his sexuality, and touched his inner thigh “close to his penis”. Nobiletti says he reported Lewis to HR in November 2023, but Lewis remained employed until February 2024. It is believed his dismissal was unrelated to Nobiletti’s claims.
A second assault is alleged to have occurred on 9 September 2023. Darnell Dodson, then international director of hospitality, allegedly asked Nobiletti if he was “relieved to be out about his sexuality”, after which he hugged him and “grabbed his butt”, causing Nobiletti to nearly lose his balance.
The lawsuit alleges other instances where Dodson groped or forcibly kissed male employees, along with repeated unwanted touching and sexual advances during service.
Nobiletti also alleges Dodson “often made hiring decisions based on physical appearance”, with underqualified bartenders and barbacks employed “because he found them attractive”. The lawsuit further claims that Dodson gave “preferential treatment” to employees who had a sexual relationship with him, and punished those who rejected his advances.
According to the lawsuit, Dodson’s misconduct was “widely known throughout the restaurant, openly discussed by staff, and reported to human resources on more than one occasion”.
One server allegedly complained to general manager Kieran Sweeney about Dodson’s behaviour and threatened to quit if he did not stop. No repercussions followed, and the server quit in late 2023.
Despite this, Dodson was promoted multiple times before leaving the Polo Bar in August 2024.
Nobiletti also spoke to Dodson’s assistant Courtney Smith about making a complaint to HR in October 2023. Smith allegedly said “in sum and substance, that if Nobiletti were to make a ‘formal complaint’ against any Polo Bar employee, the Polo Bar would fire him”, and that the Polo Bar would “hide their retaliation by claiming that they fired Nobiletti for drinking alcohol at work”.
Polo Bar’s culture
The lawsuit portrays the Polo Bar as a workplace where harassment, discrimination, and substance use were routine.
According to the complaint, servers played a game in which they rated female guests based on their appearance, and one server, Carlos Lopez, allegedly showed colleagues nude photos of women he was dating, including a Polo Bar co-worker.
The filing also claims that a former beverage director, Nathan Wooden, once made a “vulgar comment about raping” a female server, while other managers yelled at staff, threatened firings, and were openly condescending toward female employees.
It alleges that employees and managers drank alcohol and used cocaine during their shifts, sometimes in the restaurant’s wine room. Allegedly, staff “regularly mixed cocaine with water in a spray bottle” and used the bottle during service.
The lawsuit claims other staff members, including at least one manager, regularly sold or gave employees illegal drugs during shifts.
Other alleged misconduct includes staff consuming alcohol paid for by customers without their knowledge.
Claims of retaliation
Nobiletti was fired on 9 February 2024, allegedly for drinking at work. According to the complaint, he consistently received positive performance reviews and “until his firing, Nobiletti was not suspended nor warned that his job was in jeopardy”.
The lawsuit claims management and staff routinely drank alcohol and used illegal drugs during service “with little to no consequences.”
It further claims: “It was not until Nobiletti complained about sexual assaults and harassment that defendants took action against [the] plaintiff, purportedly for his drinking alcohol.
“Plainly, defendants fired Nobiletti because he dared to stand up to the toxic culture at the restaurant.”
The Polo Bar’s website includes a guest code of conduct, which asks customers to “please be respectful and courteous to all team members, including hosts, servers, kitchen staff, and management”. It also states that: “Any form of aggressive, abusive, or violent behaviour toward staff or other guests will result in immediate removal from the premises and, if necessary, temporary or permanent ban on future dining.”
A spokesperson for The Polo Bar commented: “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.
“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.”
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