Woman Alleges `Cutthroat' Culture, Harassment of Women at Irvine FirmCity

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A female former executive for an Irvine-based risk management company is suing her ex-employer, alleging she was subjected to sexual harassment and an unreasonable pressure to produce results before being fired in 2023.

Ronda Cruz's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, brought against CorVel Corp. includes allegations of whistleblower retaliation, harassment, wrongful discharge, intentional infliction of emotional distress, defamation and failure to accommodate and engage in the interactive process. Cruz seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.

"The culture at CorVel was very cutthroat in the sense that money and profits were more important than anything else, including employee health, safety and following the law," the suit states.

A CorVel representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Thursday.

Cruz was hired in July 2012 as a claims adjuster handling indemnity claims for Prime Healthcare and worked her way up the corporate ladder to become vice president of claims in 2017 and to area vice president of Southern California the next year, according to the suit.

Women were not typically given the respect they deserved at CorVel, the suit states.

"Plaintiff had several instances over her tenure there ... where she was subjected to sexist and sexually based comments and actions," the suit alleges.

On a work trip in which her husband attended, comments were made about Cruz's anatomy that were typical of the way women were often objectified, according to the suit, which further states that females were expected to "toe the company line if they wanted promotions."

But when Cruz refused to turn a blind eye to what she believed was illegal or unethical conduct, the path was set for her wrongful termination, according to her complaint.

As an example, Cruz fought for commissions for two female employees who were on maternity leave and could possibly learn bonus pay, which made upper management see the plaintiff as a problem employee, the suit states.

During a 2022 company meeting, Cruz was discussing workplace diversity when a Caucasian man said, "I can't help the way I came out of my momma's womb," the suit states.

Cruz also had to take time off for serious health issues and as her condition worsened, she told her superiors that she would need to schedule a hysterectomy as well as other surgical procedures, according to the complaint, which further states that the plaintiff continued doing her job well despite her medical problems.

However, Cruz was told by a CorVel regional vice president along with a human resources executive during an August 2023  meeting that she was being terminated due to her "interactions with leadership," the suit states. Told that a condition for rehiring was that she sign a severance and release of future claims, Cruz, who is in her early 50s, declined to do so, the suit further states.

CorVel's conduct in suggesting she lost her job due to misconduct or incompetency has made it hard for her to get another job elsewhere in Southern California, according to the suit, which also states that Cruz has experienced a loss of earnings and suffered emotional distress since losing her job.