Sabrina Landreth, the former East Bay Regional Parks general manager, has filed a legal claims against the park district.
Within the 7-page filing, it is seeking damages based on retaliation, gender-based harassment and discrimination complaints she received by female staff about Board of Directors Colin Coffey and Dennis Waespi.
According to the complaint filed:
In December 2024 and January 2025, Claimant received complaints from female staff alleging that Directors Colin Coffey and Dennis Waespi had harassed and bullied them in communications, both verbally and in writing, and indicating that Directors Coffey and Waespi treated male employees more favorably. After reviewing supporting documentation and other evidence, Claimant determined that workplace training on anti-harassment, micro-aggression, and anti-bullying was warranted as a corrective and preventative measure.
In meetings, emails, phone calls, and at a January 2025 Board retreat, Claimant informed the Board about the complaints and need for training. Shortly thereafter, Claimant engaged an outside attorney to conduct the training, which took place in March 2025. From that point forward Directors Coffey and Waespi—as well as other Board members they recruited to do the same, such as then Board President John Mercurio, and Directors Sanwong and Deschambault— began a course of retaliatory conduct against Claimant in a number of ways including but not limited to:
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- Refusing to communicate with Claimant directly;
- Refusing one-on-one meetings with Claimant;
- Ignoring Claimant’s emails;
- Removing Claimant from internal staff emails;
- Making false allegations about Claimant’s performance to others including that she was not providing information though she had done so and in writing;
- Failing to attend site visits, briefings or programs Claimant arranged for the Board
- Treating Claimant with open hostility in public and closed sessions, including calling her “a liar”; and
- Openly laughing as Claimant spoke.
The course of retaliatory conduct was also as a result of Claimant’s refusal to engage in unlawful conduct despite pressure from Board members, including but not limited to:
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- Awarding large lobbyist contracts to consultants of a Board member’s choosing outside of the required legal process;
- Directing police staff regarding speed enforcement;
- Directly appointing a Clerk of the Board of Board members’ choosing in violation of District policy;
- Promoting employees in violation of District policy;
- Conducting closed sessions regarding land acquisition in violation of the Brown Act;
- Continuing the practice of misusing public taxpayer dollars, including the purchase of alcohol for District events;
- Engaging in nepotism for family members with priority placements in East Bay Regional Park District’s programs such as the on-call firefighter program;
- Providing gifts to public officials such as helicopter ride-alongs; and
- Redirecting public resources for political purposes in the Tri-Valley to support a Board member’s reelection campaign;
- Director Coffey admitting to Claimant that he was conducting himself in a “highly sophisticated” campaign to “take advantage of Director Sanwong’s mental health issues” to advance his personal agenda; and
- Defaming Claimant by making false allegations about her and/or her work performance.
During her time at the District, Claimant was also subject to gender-based discrimination and harassment, including but not limited to:
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- The District paying Claimant less than her male predecessor;
- Director Waespi telling Claimant he had to “go check with the boys” in response to Claimant;
- Director Waespi praising “macho men” at the District and telling Claimant “the boys” would have done the right thing;
- Director Waespi telling Claimant “Only women should be gardeners”;
- Director Waespi raising his voice at Claimant and physically getting in her personal space while puffing his chest when she refused to award lobbying contracts to his desired consultant;
- Director Coffey accusing Director Elizabeth Echols of not being an effective Board member since “she’s a single mom”;
- Board members undermining Claimant by continually referring to her as the “new GM” after almost five years of her employment;
- False allegations in the performance evaluation process which included gender-based stereotypes that Claimant was emotional and overreactive under pressure with no examples;
- Silencing Claimant by accusing her of “dominating the conversation” when Claimant voiced concerns about the evaluation process;
- Directors Coffey and Waespi telling Claimant that she was not being “aggressive” enough or “crushing” like her male predecessor; and
- Then Board President Mercurio asking Claimant to “slow down this work in DEI.”
As a result of Claimant’s efforts to carry out her lawful responsibilities under laws and policies applicable to the District, she was:
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- subjected to a course or pattern of conduct that, taken as a whole, materially and adversely affected the terms, conditions, or privileges of her employment;
- subjected to false and defamatory accusations regarding her alleged poor work performance and her professional reputation in general;
- constructively terminated from her position as General Manager of the Disctrict.
This claim seeks recovery on the basis of all applicable legal theories, including but not limited to violations of state and federal statutes and the United States and California constitutions. The names of the public employees and officials causing Claimant’s injuries include, but are not limited to, Directors Coffey, Waespi, Mercurio, Sanwong and Deschambault.
Landreth resigned last November and said she would seek legal counsel after claiming she was “constructively terminated” by the Board which demanded she take actions–which she refused—that would have violated open government and personnel laws, and harmed her professional and personal reputation.
Landreth said she “could not perform my job under a Board of Directors which was not exercising appropriate governance and operates without adequate checks and balances.”
“The Board was demanding that I compromise my integrity and values. I would not do that,’ she said. “I stand by my values and my reputation as a professional administrator for the past twenty-five years.”
“I am proud of my accomplishments during my EBRPD tenure,” Landreth added. “There were many projects I had started and am disappointed not to complete because my time was cut short by the Board.”
Landreth has served for almost the past five years as General Manager of EBRPD, the largest regional park system in the country. Her contract was renewed in 2024 for an additional five years. She was the first woman to serve as General Manager in the District’s 91 year history. Previously, she held top executive leadership positions managing the cities of Oakland and Emeryville.
View the 7-page complaint Sabrina Landreth – Tort Claim
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- Nov 9 – EBRPD General Manager to Seek Legal Counsel Against East Bay Regional Parks District Board
- Nov 8 – Landreth Resigns as General Manager at the East Bay Regional Park District
