A Sacramento resident has filed a lawsuit against a local funeral home, alleging severe mishandling of his father’s remains and racial discrimination. Ruben Ramos lodged the complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento, on November 6, 2025, targeting Evergreen Memorial Funeral Home. The case centers around allegations of breach of contract, negligence, and emotional distress following the mishandling of funeral services.
Ruben Ramos’s lawsuit outlines a series of grievances stemming from a contract with Evergreen Memorial for his father’s funeral services on May 18, 2023. According to the complaint, Ramos paid $4,000 upfront for a full-service Catholic funeral that included embalming and a private family viewing. However, he claims that the defendants failed to provide these services as promised. Instead of an open-casket viewing as per Catholic rites, Ramos found his father’s body in a state of decomposition with visible disfigurement at the church. The suit alleges that no makeup was applied to correct this disfigurement despite assurances to do so.
The complaint further details an incident during the funeral where an employee allegedly made racially insensitive remarks about Latino funeral practices. “You people wait too long to have funerals; this isn’t our fault,” the employee reportedly said in front of family members and guests. This statement is cited as evidence of racial and cultural hostility towards Ramos’s Latino heritage and religious customs.
Ramos accuses Evergreen Memorial Funeral Home of multiple legal violations including breach of written and oral contracts, negligence in handling human remains, intentional infliction of emotional distress due to outrageous conduct, fraud through false representations about service delivery, and violation of California’s Bane Act due to discriminatory actions based on race and religion.
In seeking redress from the court, Ramos requests general and special damages exceeding $25,000 for financial loss and emotional suffering. He also seeks punitive damages for what he describes as malicious conduct by the defendants. Additionally, Ramos asks for civil penalties under Civil Code § 52(b), attorney’s fees, costs associated with the suit, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing himself in this case is Ruben C. Ramos as Plaintiff In Propria Persona. The case is filed under Case No.: 2 Sat” OB So in front of Judge B. Delira at the Superior Court of California in Sacramento County.
Source: 25CV026970_Ruben_Ramos_v_Evergreen_Memorial _Complaint_County_of_Sacramento_California.pdf
