Rehab facility in Los Angeles sued for alleged racial discrimination, Nazi sympathies

"I felt discriminated against, I felt weak, I felt small, I felt alone," said Michael Zamarron

LOS ANGELES – Zamarron is one of seven current and former employees suing a rehab facility owned by Executive Recovery Group Inc. in Encino and Tarzana. The plaintiffs describe a hostile and racially charged work environment.

They paint a shocking picture, accusing management of engaging in Nazi salutes, sporting swastika tattoos, displaying white power gang signs, and using racist language.

Zamarron recalls, "They kicked out the Latino managers and replaced them with a group of Caucasians, many of whom had swastika tattoos and openly displayed Nazi symbols."

Attorney Camron Dowlatshahi, who represents the employees, expresses his disbelief: "It’s appalling that, in 2024, we are still dealing with Nazi sympathizers."

According to Dowlatshahi, the facility, once led by Hispanic managers, was quickly overrun by individuals promoting white nationalist ideologies. He alleges that these new hires were associated with a white prison gang and were brought in by managers sympathetic to their cause. The plaintiffs claim that this resulted in rampant discrimination against non-white employees.

Zamarron adds, "I saw the swastikas, the gang signs, the symbols—it was clear in the staff they brought in."

The lawsuit highlights numerous incidents where non-white employees, including Latinos and African Americans, were allegedly targeted.

During one staff meeting, the lawsuit claims, a white supervisor publicly humiliated an employee by saying that "because he was gay, he shouldn’t bathe residents," specifically referring to him as "this Puerto Rican homosexual."

"It was obvious this supervisor was uncomfortable with the fact that I was Latino and gay," says Zamarron.

The Encino rehab facility, owned by Executive Recovery Group Inc., was contacted for comment, but no response was provided.