Former San Diego Anchor Sues KUSI for $10 Million

A former longtime news anchor at KUSI has filed a lawsuit accusing the television station of failing to address a pay gap of at least $70,000 between her and her male co-anchor, a dispute that ended with her termination last month.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, Sandra Maas is asking for $10 million in relief in the lawsuit filed Tuesday against McKinnon Broadcasting Co. in San Diego Superior Court.

Maas is suing under the California Equal Pay Act, which requires equal pay for employees who perform “substantially similar work” when judging skill, effort, and responsibility.

Sandra Maas

The lawsuit also alleges gender and age discrimination and retaliation.

Maas, who has worked as an anchor in San Diego since 1990, was hired at KUSI in 2004 as a morning co-anchor. She was promoted to evening co-anchor in 2010. She hosted “Inside San Diego” and produced a weekly segment, “Healthy Living.”

According to the complaint, Maas’ suspicion that she was earning substantially less than her male counterpart was affirmed when her former manager told her she was making at least $90,000 less each year.   She began to address the apparent pay inequality starting December 2017 during contract renewal negotiations, according to the lawsuit.

Frustrated by the progress, she filed a complaint in April 2018 with KUSI’s general manager, Mike McKinnon Jr., highlighting her experience and skills and arguing “there is no reason my compensation should be less than multiple male counterparts at KUSI,” according to the lawsuit.

The complaint was not well received, her lawsuit states, and the station’s human resources director intervened in the negotiations. A month later, a contract was offered that was still $70,000 below what she understood her male co-anchor to be making, according to the suit.

Her co-anchor left the station in February, and he confirmed his salary was $70,000 higher than hers, the lawsuit states.

Maas’ last day was June 13, without the usual fanfare, the lawsuit says. She ended the 10 p.m. newscast with a farewell to viewers and the crew, saying: “Although I won’t be delivering the news, I do hope to be making news. And making a difference for women in the workplace.”