Pa'tanisha Davis Pierson, who was district director for Ávila Farías' Assembly District 15 office in Concord, filed the lawsuit Oct. 21 in Contra Costa Superior Court, CalMatters reported. Contra Costa News noted that Davis Pierson is a Brentwood City Council member.
The allegations
Davis Pierson says she told the Assembly's human resources department that she believed a staff member was doing campaign work for Ávila Farías from the district office on state time. She alleges the lawmaker then stripped her of responsibilities. The suit also accuses Ávila Farías of racial discrimination, saying she yelled at Black staff and interns and gave them less desirable work. Davis Pierson, who is Black, also says she received an unwanted hug.
According to the lawsuit, the Assembly's Workplace Conduct Unit opened an investigation, and the employee she reported later "body-checked" her in a hallway. She also claims Assembly HR refused to accommodate requests for time off and a hybrid schedule after a medical procedure. Contra Costa News reported that the suit lists nine causes of action and says she resigned in April, effective May 1, 2026. She is seeking damages, including punitive damages against Ávila Farías personally.
The response
"I vigorously deny the allegations and will defend against them through the appropriate legal process," Ávila Farías said in a statement to CalMatters, adding that she has one of the most diverse staffs in the Legislature. The Assembly Rules Committee declined to comment, citing personnel issues and pending litigation. The employee Davis Pierson reported still works for the lawmaker, according to CalMatters.
Ávila Farías, a first-term Democrat who served nearly a decade on the board of the California Housing Finance Agency before joining the Assembly, is on the Nov. 3 ballot in her heavily Democratic district.
More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.