NY judge found ‘credible evidence’ that Sen. Ron Wyden’s kids relentlessly harassed wife’s assistant before suicide: docs

A judge in New York has ruled that there is “credible evidence” suggesting that the children of Oregon Senator Ron Wyden harassed their mother’s personal assistant, Brandon O’Brien, using “abhorrent” homophobic slurs prior to his tragic suicide, according to court documents.

Brandon O’Brien, who was 35 years old, took his own life in May after reportedly experiencing severe mistreatment while employed by Nancy Bass Wyden, the senator’s wife and owner of the renowned Strand Bookstore in New York City. These incidents allegedly contributed to a hostile work environment, prompting O’Brien to quit his position in September 2024, just before his death, according to a wrongful death lawsuit initiated by his ailing spouse, Thomas Maltezos.

In February, Judge Lorraine Ferrigno ruled in favor of O’Brien during an unemployment benefits dispute, noting that Nancy Bass Wyden did not significantly refute any of the serious allegations made against her in response to O’Brien’s claims.

During this dispute, Bass Wyden contended that O’Brien was not entitled to government assistance as he resigned right before he was to be dismissed for theft. However, the administrative judge did not agree, noting the evidence suggested a hostile workplace environment.

Maltezos’s legal team argues that the ruling confirmed the claims O’Brien made regarding the toxic nature of his workplace.

Documents reveal that two of the Wydens’ children—an 11-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son—sent O’Brien text messages referring to him as “zesty,” a term often seen as derogatory. One message reportedly included a phrase like “my little zest bunny.”

According to the judge, the teenage son also labeled O’Brien with derogatory terms, and Bass Wyden admitted there were instances where she reprimanded her son for such behavior.

O’Brien had expressed disquiet to Bass Wyden about the inappropriate behavior of her children, with the judge stating that while Bass Wyden did not recall this specific complaint, she acknowledged a similar grievance raised by their male au pair during the same time.

The timeline of harassment culminated with a final homophobic text message that compelled O’Brien to leave his job on September 30, 2024, according to the court documents.

The administrative ruling stated, “The credible evidence indicates that [O’Brien] voluntarily chose to resign from his position after receiving a homophobic text from his employer’s son after prolonged harassment.”

The judge pointed out that there were no testimonies to validate Bass Wyden’s claim that O’Brien was aware that termination was imminent.

The lawsuit brought forward by O’Brien’s widow asserts that Bass Wyden spread damaging falsehoods regarding O’Brien in an effort to render him unemployed, exacerbating his emotional distress.

Attempts to obtain comments from Bass Wyden’s legal representative about the decision from the labor judge have not been acknowledged.

A spokesperson for Bass Real Estate had previously described Maltezos’s lawsuit as “baseless” and “misguided.”

The legal team representing Bass Real Estate has filed a motion to dismiss the case.

<p“O’Brien had been a trusted personal assistant with various responsibilities,” the representative stated. “His betrayal of that trust and misrepresentation of the incidents that occurred during his time there highlight the depth of his moral failings and manipulation.”