Vanguard News Desk Editor
LOS ANGELES, CA – A lawsuit charging multiple claims – including sexual harassment and discrimination – was filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court against the California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and Deputy Director Ryan Buras.
It’s the third lawsuit targeting Buras with allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women, according to plaintiff Rebecca Weber’s lawyers from the San Francisco law firm of Gomerman, Bourn & Associates.
“The culture at CalOES must change, and that starts with accountability at the top. The toxic environment fostered by CalOES’ inaction not only led to dangerous consequences for employees, it supported a culture of impunity that enabled the misuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Maria Bourn, Weber’s attorney.
The firm, in a statement released this week, said the “accusations center around conduct that occurred on the heels of the #MeToo movement during a period in which Mr. Buras was married to former Labor Secretary Natalie Palugyai.”
The statement added, Buras “sabotaged the victim’s job and inflicted a massive toll on her personal life by interfering with her partner’s ability to seek treatment for a life-threatening, chronic kidney illness.”
Plaintiff Weber said, ““I endured unrelenting harassment and retaliation, all while trying to fulfill my duties as caretaker for my partner who was battling a life-threatening illness.”
The former CalOES Recovery Infrastructure Branch Analyst added, “While I worked to support disaster survivors, Ryan Buras created a disastrous, hostile work environment. His conduct will leave lasting effects that extend well beyond the workplace, and he needs to be held accountable.”
The lawsuit complaint charged Buras “subjected Rebecca Weber to a prolonged campaign of sex and gender-based discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. He sabotaged Weber’s job and inflicted a massive toll on her personal life by interfering with her partner’s ability to seek treatment for a life-threatening, chronic kidney illness.
“Weber had been working from home successfully for years, which allowed her to care for her disabled partner. But Buras, as part of his retaliation, arbitrarily revoked her work-from-home status, which made it much more difficult for Weber to care for her partner.”
The pleading added, “Buras did so because Weber rejected his sexual overtures and pushed back against his plans to illegally distribute State funds. Buras retaliated against Weber because he believed that his political connections allowed him to abuse his female colleagues without impunity. He openly bragged that he was ‘untouchable.’”
Weber, the filing states, joined CalOES in March 2008 providing disaster relief to impacted communities. Weber began working from home for family reasons, and attempted to resign but stayed on because of her expertise.
The law firm’s statement explained in July of 2019, the then Deputy Director Buras, “under the belief that Weber was single, initially treated her with favor, attempting to make multiple lengthy, late-night phone calls where he would discuss personal matters such as his failing marriage.”
The lawsuit said, “many of these inappropriate conversations were initiated when Buras was intoxicated. Buras told Weber, ‘I love single moms,’ and that he would do what he could to help her. Buras requested Rebecca serve as his analyst and asked her to move back to Sacramento for him. She declined, indicating she could not move her family.
“Buras ultimately saw Weber wearing a diamond ring on her finger and said, ‘I see you are no longer single now.’ Buras then began interfering with Weber’s ability to perform her job duties and would publicly humiliate her, calling her ‘stupid’ in front of her peers.’”
Plaintiff lawyers allege “Buras publicly bragged that ‘no matter what I do, I won’t get in trouble,’ and touted his political connections to high-ranking State officials, including his then-wife, former Labor Secretary Palugyai. He told his team…he was untouchable and safe, and would purposefully help unqualified, young, attractive women obtain high-visibility and high-paying positions.”
Weber said, according to the lawsuit, in 2023 was “notified by her manager that she needed to return to work in-office three days a week, which would require her to travel up to two to three hours one way in traffic. Weber requested an exemption and was told no even though she had worked remotely successfully for eight years.
“She also indicated that she was taking protected leave and that her manager’s threats to classify her as Absent Without Leave would be retaliatory and a violation of California law. Weber was nonetheless constructively discharged.”
The pleading states multiple causes of action, all under the color of “sex,” including, hostile work environment, discrimination, failure to prevent harassment and discrimination, retaliation and failure to accommodate disability.
“Instead of supporting her as she cared for her terminally ill partner, Buras retaliated and sought to make Rebecca choose between being subservient or caring for the person she loves,” said Tanya Gomerman, Weber’s attorney.
Gomerman added, “CalOES’ systemic failure enabled a toxic culture of impunity that claimed victims and taxpayers alike. In spite of several warnings and complaints, they allowed his campaign of harassment to continue.”
