A former employee of a prominent New York hotel claims she was wrongfully terminated after facing sexual harassment and age discrimination. On November 28, 2025, Doina Caragata filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Mark Opco LP, Mark 2 Restaurant LLC, Thomas Nocella, and Joseph Holmes.
The case details how Caragata, who began working as a bartender at The Mark’s luxury bar and restaurant in February 2022, faced discrimination due to her age and gender. At 55 years old, she was the oldest bartender on staff by at least a decade. Despite receiving accolades such as the Big Apple Award for her previous work in hospitality, Caragata alleges that her younger colleagues mocked her age by calling her “Mama.” She also reported being subjected to unwarranted disciplinary actions and denied opportunities that were instead given to younger employees without prior experience. For instance, a new role of “Head Bartender” was created and awarded to a younger female colleague without any internal job posting or application process.
Caragata recounts an incident on Easter Sunday when a male colleague verbally abused her with profanities in front of customers and other staff members. When she reported this behavior to management, they reassigned him but did not take further action. Later that evening, he approached her again with unwanted physical contact under the guise of checking on her well-being. After expressing her intention to report these incidents to human resources, Caragata received what she describes as retaliatory write-ups for alleged infractions that had occurred weeks earlier.
The lawsuit accuses The Mark and its managers of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by discriminating against Caragata based on age and gender while fostering a hostile work environment. It also claims retaliation against Caragata for opposing such discrimination. Additionally, it invokes violations under New York State Human Rights Law (NYSHRL) and New York City Human Rights Law (NYCHRL). Caragata seeks compensatory damages for economic loss and emotional distress along with punitive damages. She is also asking for attorneys’ fees and costs associated with the legal proceedings.
Representing Caragata is Michael Taubenfeld from Fisher Taubenfeld LLP. The case is presided over by judges from the Southern District Court under Case ID 1:25-cv-09927.
Source: 125cv09927_Doina_Caragata_v_Mark_Opco_Complaint_Southern_District_of_New_York.pdf
