Court upholds verdict for former news anchor Sandra Maas in KUSI’s appeal of equal pay lawsuit

A San Diego appeals court on Tuesday upheld the judgment and what amounted to a $1.775 million award to former news anchor Sandra Maas, who sued the company that previously owned KUSI, alleging it violated equal pay laws by paying her significantly less than her co-anchor.

The opinion comes nearly three years after a San Diego Superior Court jury also found for Maas in her whistleblower claim, in which she argued that her contract was not renewed because she pushed back for the pay disparity.

McKinnon Broadcasting Co., which had owned KUSI when Maas worked there, had challenged the verdict on various grounds, “none of which we find persuasive. We affirm the judgment,” reads the opinion issued Tuesday from the 4th District Court of Appeal, Division 1.

Maas’ attorney, Josh Gruenberg, said in an email Tuesday that the appellate court “confirmed that the jury’s findings were supported by substantial evidence and that the process was impartial and sound.” He called the opinion “a true celebration of equal pay rights and of a judicial system that holds firm — even on appeal.”

“Most importantly, it brings long-overdue closure to a grueling chapter in Sandra Maas’s life,” Gruenberg said. “It takes courage to come forward, and even greater courage to withstand the blocks and ...