L.A. rehab staff gave Nazi salutes, made racist remarks and gave ‘white power’ gang signs, lawsuit says
Managers at a rehab facility in Tarzana gave Nazi salutes, displayed “white power” gang signs and abused other staff members with homophobic, racist and antisemitic language, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Seven former and current staff members of Executive Recovery Group Inc. alleged that the abuse and harassment began after an executive manager was hired, according to a news release from the Los Angeles civil litigation attorneys who filed the lawsuit. The manager allegedly replaced two Hispanic managers with her white friends, including one who is associated with a white nationalist gang, according to the release.
“Discrimination and harassment have no place in any workplace, let alone one dedicated to the recovery and well-being of vulnerable individuals,” attorney Camron Dowlatshahi said in the release. “These toxic actions of the management at this facility are not just morally reprehensible, they are illegal under California law.”
The Executive Recovery Group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The organization is based in California and owns multiple drug rehab facilities across the state. The company has been the subject of several previous lawsuits, including allegations that it failed to pay overtime wages and failed to prevent a hostile work environment.
The lawsuit asks the court to order the facility to pay unspecified damages.
Employees complained about the alleged misconduct over several months, during which Black, Jewish, Latino and LGBTQ+ employees were discriminated against and harassed, according to the lawsuit. In one instance, the facility’s resident assistant, a gay Latino man, was told he shouldn’t be bathing patients because of his sexual orientation. One employee had a swastika tattoo on his face. Another employee was heard describing company owners as cheap “because they’re Jews,” according to the release.
Black female arson investigator Afara Lalaind is suing Los Angeles for discrimination and retaliation. She says the L.A. Fire Dept. did nothing to stop her harassment.
Black clients were kicked out of the facility’s program for infractions that white clients weren’t punished for, according to the lawsuit. Black clients also allegedly weren’t allowed to attend a nearby Black church, while staff escorted Roman Catholic clients to Mass. And according to the release, a male employee showed nude photos of a female colleague to clients.
During a shopping trip to Costco, a white employee made racist comments about Hispanic and Asian shoppers and about the facility’s clients, according to the lawsuit. The staffer wasn’t disciplined, and he continued to make discriminatory remarks, the release states.
Staff and managers also were suspected of taking home medication that was supposed to be destroyed, the lawsuit alleges. In October 2023, medication destruction logs were found inside a closet.
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