The Brief

A workplace misconduct investigation found a top Orange County elected official violated gender discrimination and retaliation policies and harassed a subordinate over her medical disability, according to a confidential county-commissioned report obtained by LAist.

According to the investigator’s findings, O.C. Assessor Claude Parrish:

• Downplayed the employee’s chronic medical condition as a “tummy ache”
• Shared her private medical information with coworkers
• Regularly commented on her diet
• Told her to stop taking her prescribed medication 
• Made her “drink baking soda mixed with tap water to ‘fix’ her medical condition” 

The investigator’s final report, filed in 2023, also found that Parrish retaliated against the subordinate because of her disability by moving her to a different department for taking time off for her disability and medical condition.

In addition, the investigator found Parrish regularly used language effectively casting women employees as subservient to their male colleagues.

“It is more likely than not that Parrish routinely refers to male employees as ‘Mr.’ and female employees by their first name, based on their gender,” the investigation found. “The cumulative effect of Parrish's practice of using formal, deferential means of addressing men, while using informal, casual means of addressing women serves to highlight a subservient relationship between such employees, based on their sex.”

While the investigator’s findings were disclosed to county human resources officials in the May 2023 report, they have not been publicly reported until now. LAist obtained the report — which is labeled “confidential” — via a public records request.

At least two Orange County supervisors did not know of the findings until this month — and only found out because the county was preparing to release the report to LAist, according to their offices. Under state law, the Board of Supervisors has an oversight role over Parrish, though it’s limited because voters elected him.

Parrish, who has been the county assessor for 10 years, has continued to serve since the findings against him nearly two years ago. In interviews with LAist, Parrish said he was not at fault, named the former employee and called her a “pathological liar.” According to the report, witnesses corroborated many of her claims and the investigator found she was “generally credible.”

LAist obtained the investigation report after citing court precedent requiring local governments to release such documents under the Public Records Act.

Parrish was told to cease and desist

Citing the investigation findings, the county’s HR director sent a letter to Parrish telling him to stop violating harassment policies.

“The investigator’s findings raise serious concerns about your treatment of Assessor employees,” wrote Collette Farnes, the county’s chief human resources officer. The December 2023 letter was also obtained by LAist in the public records request.

“As the County’s Chief Human Resources Officer, I am obligated to instruct you to cease and desist from any and all conduct that violates County policy.”

Farnes went on to “strongly recommend” Parrish to take a two-hour anti-harassment training.

Parrish told LAist that he does not remember if he did the requested training.

“ I honestly don't remember if I did. It was too long ago, so I don't remember,” he said.

A county spokesperson told LAist that Parrish completed the training recommended in the letter from Farnes.

When asked about what was done in response to the findings, a county spokesperson pointed to the letter’s demands. No further action was described.

Under county policy and state law, all county employees have to complete a workplace harassment prevention training every two years. A county spokesperson told LAist that the requirement applies twice a year to supervisory and management roles.

Parrish told LAist he does not remember if he’s ever done harassment prevention training.

Who oversees the assessor?

Parrish is responsible for overseeing about 250 staff. His department determines the value of billions of dollars of homes and other real estate in Orange County for tax purposes. Parrish first took office in January 2015, in an election that followed his predecessor being charged with (and later convicted of) filing false nomination papers for re-election.

As an elected official, Parrish operates largely independently. The power to hire and fire the assessor rests with the voters, who choose every four years whether to re-elect him. Parrish was most recently reelected in 2022 when he won the primary outright with nearly 71% of the vote.

Under state law, Orange County supervisors’ authority is constrained “to ensuring that the assessor faithfully performs the duties of the office,” according to a state Supreme Court ruling in a case out of Orange County. But the board is not allowed “to control, directly or indirectly, the manner in which the [assessor’s] duties are performed,” according to that same ruling.

“As a County officer, the Assessor is subject to supervision by the Board of Supervisors,” county spokesperson Molly Nichelson said in a written response to LAist’s questions. She pointed to state law.

Parrish responds: ‘Nobody's more employee-friendly than me’

Asked for his response to the HR investigation, Parrish told LAist he’s a kind boss. He said he’d been on the “best terms” with the former employee he later was found to have harassed, until the day he transferred her to a different department in July 2022.

“ Nobody's more employee-friendly than me,” he said, adding that he let the employee take off whatever time off she needed for her medical issues.  “ I was like her best friend, for years.”

“We were on the best terms for the entire time she worked here, except for the last day,” he added. “To this day, to show you what a nice guy is, if she comes and says, ‘I’d like to work here,’ I'd hire her now. Even though she's said all those terrible things about me."

“She just lies, stabbed me in the back,” Parrish said, saying the former employee would “make up all sorts of stories.”

“I’m not mean to anybody,” he added.

While the initial complaint against Parrish did not include allegations of harassment based on gender, those allegations came up as employees were interviewed, according to the investigation report.

As for the findings about how he addressed male versus female employees, Parrish called that “a lie.” He said he referred to one high-ranking male executive — Neil Shah — as “Mr.” because they worked together at the State Board of Equalization.

“ Mr. Shah and I are old time friends from when I was on the Board of Equalization, so I have great respect for him. So that's the deal,” Parrish said.

Multiple employees told the investigator otherwise — saying that in the workplace, Parrish referred to all men as “Mr.” and all women by their first names, according to the report. The investigator found that Parrish’s practice was “gender-based rather than based on their role/title.”

The investigator determined that Parrish violated the county’s harassment policy based on gender.

Investigator found Parrish not credible

The confidential report redacted the names of the complainant and witnesses.

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County Orange County

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The investigator’s report, which redacted the name of the employee with the medical issue, found her to be “generally credible” — noting several witnesses corroborated her claims.

In contrast, the investigator wrote that they “did not find Parrish credible” for several reasons, including that he contradicted himself and “was at times evasive.”

“When the Investigator asked Parrish to respond to an allegation of race harassment and discrimination, his initial response was limited to, ‘Well, that's totally false. If anybody's a racist, it's [name redacted],’” the report states.

In addition, the report said in response to the investigator asking if there was anything Parrish wanted to say about the allegations against him, “he spoke for eight minutes about how he is ‘employee friendly’ as evidenced by his installation of air and ultraviolet filters, conducting air quality testing, and providing Dial soap at the Assessor’s Office.”

During his interview with LAist, Parrish also brought up the air filters and ultraviolet filters for employee computer screens.

In finding that he engaged in disability and gender harassment, the investigation report found that Parrish’s conduct “was not occasional, isolated, or sporadic.”

“Instead, the evidence shows that Parrish engaged in unwelcome conduct directly related to [redacted employee’s] medical condition on a continuous basis throughout her employment,” investigators wrote.

Unprompted, Parrish names employee he was found to have harassed

In the HR director’s 2023 letter, Parrish was instructed not to “ascertain the identity of any complainant or witness” and “not take adverse action, disparage, or otherwise retaliate against any County employee” because of their complaints or participation in the investigation.

The investigation records released to LAist blacked out the name of the former employee whom Parrish was found to have harassed, along with the names of witnesses. In responding to LAist’s records request, the county CEO’s office said they made the redactions because disclosing the names of reporting parties and witnesses “would constitute an unwarranted invasion of the right to privacy and would also have a chilling effect on an individual’s willingness to come forward.”

Parrish handled that differently in his interview with LAist.

Unprompted, Parrish repeatedly identified by first name the former employee he was found to have harassed. And he called her a liar.

“ Candace, bless her little heart, she's a pathological liar. She'd make up all sorts of stories,” he said.

Online records show only one employee in his office with that first name during a timeframe the investigation said the employee worked there.

During the interview with LAist, Parrish also brought up information about the employee’s medical condition.

“Candace was just sick all the time,” Parrish said. He went on to disclose, unprompted, a detail of her medical condition that was redacted from the investigation report.

What the former employee says

The Orange County Assessor's office is located on Main Street in Orange.

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In interviews with LAist, Candace Jones confirmed she was the employee who filed the complaint that is the subject of the investigation and report. She gave LAist her account.

Jones said she had been a human resources employee under Parrish for years, until he transferred her out to a different county department in 2022.

Jones told LAist that when she started in her role at the department in 2015, she was in remission for Crohn’s disease, a chronic condition for inflammatory bowel disease. The following year, she said, she complained directly to Parrish and her supervisor alleging medical discrimination. She said they downplayed her complaints and forbade her from escalating the complaints to county-level HR.

When she did report issues within the Assessor’s department to county HR officials, Jones said, Parrish yelled at her “for going over his head.”

“ The stress got so bad where my intestines just completely got ruined, so now I've been left with a permanent ostomy bag, so that will be for the rest of my life,” Jones told LAist, referencing the redacted medical condition Parrish told LAist about. “I don't think I would be in my current situation if I didn't have to endure the stress at the assessor's office.”

Asked about Parrish’s claim that she’s a liar who makes up stories, Jones noted the county-commissioned investigation substantiated her credibility about many of her claims, including that Parrish discriminated against her.

“County HR has long been aware of Claude's behavior towards numerous staff throughout the County, but they have consistently failed to intervene and protect its employees,” she added in a text message.

“I look forward to the County taking the necessary steps to implement meaningful safeguards that protect employees from elected officials who are unwilling or unable to adhere to EEO laws and policies,” referring to equal employment opportunity regulations.

Parrish responds to Jones’ allegations

When LAist asked Parrish about Jones' account, he said her first complaint was about two colleagues with whom she disagreed. He said he tried “to smooth everything down to make everybody happy.”

Parrish said all employees can complain to HR and he couldn't stop them. He also said it was “an absolute lie” that he yelled at Jones for escalating to HR.

“ She's like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It's hard to believe. She's always so nice and always thanking me for everything I do,” he said. “She's having some second thoughts and fabricating stuff and twisting something and it just, it's never ending.”

In the interview, Parrish called himself “an innocent victim.”

Jones, he added, is “vindictive.”

Jones told LAist: “As an elected official, Claude can and will continue to cover up abuse and hostile working conditions without repercussions.”

Through the records request, LAist also obtained a log of when Parrish’s key card was used in his department’s headquarters. The log shows his badge was often swiped multiple days per month in 2021 and 2022, then dropped to only one day per month on average in 2023 and 2024.

In responding to the records request, the county said Parrish’s office “is accessible by physical key only and not through badge access. However, other floors within of the Assessor Department are accessible via badge access. Thus, the records…reflect whether Mr. Parrish’s badge was used to access the elevator or another floor.”

Asked about the drop in how often the log shows him swiping, Parrish told LAist he’s come in every day.

“ I pride myself, since I was elected, I came in — I come in here every day. Even when I'm sick, I come in and I spread the cold,” Parrish said. Asked about his employees, he said: “I don't touch them or sneeze.”

“I never miss. If I'm sick as a dog, I come in,” he said.

He also said he does not miss work except for holidays and official days off.

“ Under penalty of perjury, you could say that. I'm in here every single day,” Parrish said.

As for the badge log, Parrish said that “a lot of times I don't go upstairs. I just stay down [and employees] come to me.”

“ I'll swear on the Bible, I come in every — even when I'm sick,” he added.

He then asked a subordinate, “Would you swear under a Bible that I come in every day?”

The employee replied, “I would.”

“Even when I’m sick,” Parrish said.

“Even when you’re sick,” the employee responded.

OC supervisor says he’s ‘appalled’ by assessor’s conduct

LAist reached out to all five county supervisors for comment on the investigation’s findings.

In a statement, Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento said he was “appalled by the issues that have been brought forward regarding the functioning of the Assessor’s office and his conduct in the office.”

“As shown in recent actions, this Board has not shied away from addressing these issues in our workplace and I hope that county employees and anyone working with the county will feel empowered and supported to bring concerns regarding ethical or discriminatory practices to our attention so they can be addressed,” he said.

The Board of Supervisors recently yanked the investment authority of O.C.’s elected Treasurer/Tax Collector Shari Freidenrich after numerous complaints of mismanagement, some of which was examined and substantiated in a county-commissioned investigation. That investment responsibility was the only power that the county CEO’s office said supervisors had authority to remove from the treasurer.

Asked about Parrish, Supervisor Katrina Foley said she takes allegations of misconduct against county employees seriously and is following up to make sure the findings of the investigation are dealt with properly.

“I will continue to work with County Human Resources to ensure the Assessor's Office addresses and corrects the sustained allegations,” the statement added.

Both Sarmiento and Foley only found out about the investigation findings this month because of LAist’s records request, according to their offices.

LAist asked the county CEO’s office, which central HR falls under, why the findings weren’t disclosed to the Board of Supervisors sooner. Nichelson declined to answer, saying communication between county attorneys and the board are confidential.

Supervisors Don Wagner and Doug Chaffee declined to comment, and Supervisor Janet Nguyen did not respond to requests.

After learning of the investigation's findings, Sarmiento is exploring options to address employee concerns with the county’s attorneys, according to his spokesperson. And Foley told LAist she is looking to implement in-person harassment training.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.