OES

Brian Ferguson, Cal OES deputy director of crisis communications, characterized the situation as “a significant threat to the safety of Californians” with concerns for impact over 10 to 14 days from the Oregon line to San Diego and from the coast up into the mountains.

Kendra Bowyer, a former Cal OES employee who helped to manage the state’s relief efforts from wildfires and other disasters, alleged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Sacramento County Superior Court that Deputy Director Ryan Buras, a Gov. Gavin Newsom appointee, sexually harassed her for a period that lasted about a year beginning in 2020.

The lawsuit seeks compensation from Buras and Cal OES for allegations that include sexual harassment, retaliation and a hostile work environment.

Agency spokesman Brian Ferguson said in a statement that Cal OES does not comment on personnel matters or active litigation but said “nothing is more important” than the safety and well-being of staff and the broader public.

“It has no place in Cal OES and it will not be tolerated in any form.”