Marcy Starnes' bosses said she didn't 'mesh' with the staff at the upstate New York movie theatre where she worked. She claims she was sacked because the theater wanted 'much younger person.'

Then she met her replacement - her own 25-year-old daughter. 

Ms Starnes, 52, is suing her former employer, Carmel Cinemas in Carmel, New York, alleging it violated state and federal age discrimination laws.

Fired: Marcy Starnes claims her bosses asked her if her daughter could do her job - as they were sacking her

The lawsuit implicates owner Gary Goldring, a minority owner of the Tampa Bay Rays and a former investment banker, and operations manager Paul Schuyler for 'aiding and abetting' the discrimination against her. 

As soon as Mr Goldring bought the theater last year, he and Mr Schuyler began making comments about how old Ms Starnes and other employees were, according to the lawsuit. 

In contrast, Mr Schuyler took an interest in Ms Starnes daughter, asking 'whether she lived with her parents and was still in school, in an effort to determine her age.'

Ms Starnes was the general manager of the eight-screen theater and her daughter was the assistant general manager.

She says in her lawsuit that she always performed her job duties completely and satisfactorily.

 When Mr Goldring fired Ms Starnes, he told her she 'did not mesh with his staff' - and then immediately asked if her daughter could do her mother's job, instead, court papers allege.

He then hired Ms Starnes' daughter, who was not named in the suit.

Mr Schuyler told Ms Starnes that she was ‘old school’ ” and 'implied that she was too old to learn how to use a computer or computer program, according to the lawsuit.

Additionally, the managers informed Ms Starnes' daughter that 'only people who are 25 or 26 years of age know Excel,' which is popular software for managing spreadsheets.

Ms Starnes is hoping to recover lost pay and benefits, as well as money for 'mental anguish and emotional and physical distress.'

Mr Goldring - who made a fortune as an exec at a securities firm bought by Goldman Sachs for $6.5 billion in 2000 - called the allegations against him 'completely frivolous.'

She said Ms Starnes already complained to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and that her case there “was closed without further comment.”

Article from Mail online