SAN DIEGO — Sandra Maas, the former television news anchor who sued KUSI-TV for violating the Equal Pay Act by paying her male counterparts more than her, took the stand Tuesday morning.
Maas testified about her background and career leading up to KUSI-TV. She told the jury she's married to her high school sweetheart, she has two children. Her husband is the CFO of a bank in San Diego. Her career history includes jobs in radio, a job at a television station in Redding, California, and more than a decade at CBS 8.
During her testimony, Maas stated that in 2004, KUSI News Director Steve Cohen approached her and offered her a morning show anchor position. Maas said Cohen told her the owners of KUSI wanted a "familiar face" on TV. She said at that point, she had been on-air in San Diego for 14 years.
She testified her starting salary was $100,000. She also received two raises of $10,000 each.
She said the feedback from Cohen was positive.
She testified in 2007, she went to a social gathering and had a conversation with Mike McKinnon, Jr., the General Manager of KUSI.
She said he told her he hated negotiating with agents and suggested she negotiate her contract directly with Cohen.
Maas testified things started getting frustrating for her in 2010. She was still making $120,000 a year and hadn't had a raise in a while. She said Cohen portrayed himself as the buffer between her and "the boys down the hall."
She said there was always an excuse for why she couldn't get a raise.
Maas' testimony is expected to last at least through the day.