Seven former employees of Executive Recovery Group (ERG), a rehabilitation center based in California, have filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of fostering a hostile work environment, according to Law & Crime. The plaintiffs — a group of nurses, aides, and health technicians from diverse backgrounds—say that they endured months of racial, homophobic, and antisemitic abuse.
The lawsuit alleges that Nazi salutes, white power symbols, and hateful language were common at the facility, which allegedly employed people known to be in white nationalist groups.
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One supervisor, Jay Lepito, was accused of making homophobic remarks about Michael Zamarron, one of the plaintiffs who is a gay Puerto Rican man. During a team meeting, Lepito allegedly stated that Zamarron should not assist in bathing rehab residents, suggesting his sexual orientation could make others uncomfortable, saying, “This beautiful Puerto Rican homosexual shouldn’t be bathing [rehab residents],” the complaint stated.
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Lepito also reportedly compared Zamarron unfavorably to a white, heterosexual colleague, describing the latter as resembling “Captain America,” a Marvel comic book superhero. Additionally, Lepito allegedly remarked that he did not want Zamarron to be “accused of touching the men inappropriately.”
The lawsuit also alleges that a male employee showed nude photos of a female colleague to clients, and that staffers took home medication that was meant to be destroyed.
The lawsuit alleges that the discrimination began in mid-2023 when Erin Thorley, the new executive director of ERG, took over. The suit accuses Thorley of firing two Hispanic managers and replacing them with her friends, two white men, one of whom was allegedly affiliated with a white nationalist group. The complaint states that this manager had multiple swastika tattoos and that several employees who were also in the white nationalist group were hired and promoted over more qualified staff members of color.
The plaintiffs also alleged that antisemitic harassment took place, with Jewish employees hearing derogatory remarks, including comments about the facility’s owners being “cheap” due to their Jewish heritage.
The lawsuit further states that Black clients were treated more harshly than white clients, often being kicked out of the program for minor infractions while white clients were allowed to stay even if they committed more serious rule violations. Black clients were allegedly not allowed to attend services at a nearby Black church, but Roman Catholic clients were escorted by staff to attend mass, the lawsuit claims.
“It is hard to believe that in 2024 a workplace can be filled with Nazi sympathizers,” said the plaintiffs’ attorney Camron Dowlatshahi in an email to Law & Crime. “Yet, this is exactly the workplace my clients had to endure day-in and day-out. My clients are good people, who simply wanted to do their jobs and help people in need. Instead, their employer blatantly disregarded their well-being and subjected them to an incredibly toxic environment. We will do everything we can to hold this company, its affiliates, and its owners accountable.”
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, says that the plaintiffs are seeking damages for emotional distress and lost wages along with punitive damages.
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