Annie’s Annuals owner involved in 2 cases alleging on-the-job physical assaults, court records show

To a visitor, Annie’s Annuals was a wild and wonderful local nursery, full of exotic and rare plants and artistic whimsy. But behind the flowering facade of poppies and marigolds was a business  whose leader had two physical disputes with employees at a company she ran in the past — disputes that resemble negative on-the-job experiences shared with Richmondside by several Annie’s employees.

When Hundley (known previously as Sarah Hundley Garcia or Sarah Garcia) bought the nursery in 2021, many were hopeful that the beloved business would continue to thrive. Instead, Hundley’s behavior created an atmosphere of distrust and fear that quickly led to an exodus of many longtime employees, according to numerous former workers interviewed for this story who reached out to Richmondside after the nursery’s sudden closure last week.

Some of them, as they researched their new boss before she took over from founder Annie Hayes, were surprised to find court cases that raised red flags for them. Hundley, a Yale graduate who lives in San Francisco, has owned a string of businesses over the years, ranging from a consulting firm specializing in post-sale operations to a produce wholesaler to home furnishings, according to past press reports. 

While chief executive officer at Pacific Produce, a produce wholesaler Hundley founded with Jennifer Smith in 2009, Hundley was accused of assaulting a man at the Golden Gate Produce Terminal where the company purchased produce. According to court documents filed at San Mateo Superior Court in 2011, Hundley, who went by Sarah Garcia at the time, got angry after one of her company’s trucks was turned away. She went into the office, but was told she couldn’t go into a closed-door meeting that was happening. She then tried to push her way past an employee of the terminal, striking him on the side of the head and ripping off his glasses, according to the court documents. Hundley then threw the 60-year-old man’s glasses on the floor, and began pounding on his chest, while screaming that she was going to sue him for assaulting her, according to court documents. 

During his testimony, the victim, Mario Caimotto, said that this was just one of several “erratic and unpredictable” things he had seen Hundley do, saying she threw peppers at an employee who refused to sell to her and, on another occasion, became angry when there no berries for sale.

The court granted Caimotto a three-year restraining order against Hundley.

The following year, Victor Ortega, a delivery driver for Pacific Produce, filed a lawsuit against Hundley (then Sarah Garcia) in San Mateo Superior Court alleging that Garcia improperly fired him after he was injured on the job. According to the suit, Ortega repeatedly asked for information about workers’ compensation so that he could get care, but was told to see his personal doctor. When he eventually returned to work, he said he was not allowed breaks or given modifications, which he said aggravated his injury. 

When Ortega complained about it, Hundley told him to “just leave” and threatened to call the police, according to the complaint. She then grabbed and yanked Ortega, injuring him. When police arrived, court records show, Hundley claimed that Ortega had hit her. Police confirmed that this was false after reviewing security footage. But before that was determined, Ortega was arrested and spent one day in jail on false charges, according to his complaint. 

Annie’s employees say work environment was toxic

Annie’s employees interviewed by Richmondside shared experiences about her behavior at work and management style that are similar to what was outlined in the two court cases.

Roxanne Seraphim said she was a retail manager at Annie’s until she quit in 2022, when she said that she could no longer tolerate the constant stress and verbal abuse from the owner. 

“Sarah was very unstable and would scream at the top of her lungs and hit her chest when she got angry,” Seraphim recalled. “Her focus would change day to day. You never knew what you were going to walk into and what new thing she would be upset about.”

Hundley would sometimes talk about workers in an unprofessional way, sharing personal information about them or calling someone an idiot, Seraphim said. 

On numerous occasions Seraphim saw her coworkers crying in the greenhouse, upset over an interaction they had experienced with Hundley. Seraphim said she herself was reprimanded by Hundley many times, including once when she was blamed for a decrease in sales.

“She berated me and made me feel incompetent, to the point of making me cry,” Seraphim said. “She told me, ‘I’m going to have to lay people off and I’m going to make sure they know that it’s your fault.’ ”

Reached for comment Monday, Hundley, who wrote in a letter announcing the closure of Annie’s that she has health problems, said she was at a hospital for surgery and was unable to comment.

Melanie Williams, head of seed propagation at Annie’s, recalled that Hundley would scream at, curse and belittle workers. She said instead of firing employees, Hundley would “haze” them, creating an uncomfortable work environment that usually led to the person quitting, Williams said.

Williams became suspicious that something was not right in early September when workers were told they would be required to take time off unpaid (or use their paid time off) during Thanksgiving and at Christmas. In retrospect, some believe that Hundley was trying to reduce the business’ vacation liability to employees. More recently, Annie’s launched a 40% sale that was advertised on the website homepage, noting that it included “everything,” even tools. 

The future appears uncertain for the business, with many employees wondering how they will support their families after being let go with no notice, and customers hoping that someone will step forward to rescue what they say was a beloved oasis of growing life in the midst of an otherwise mostly paved North Richmond world.

The comments left on Richmondside’s Annie’s garden photo tribute sum up sentiments well:

“The loss of this unique business is a horrible blow to local garden lovers, not to mention all the employees who were let go without warning,” said JC of El Cerrito. “Wishing the best to them.”

Richmondside Editor-in-Chief Kari Hulac contributed to this report.