A veteran American news presenter has secured a major legal victory, winning almost $2 million in damages after a court found her former television station paid her significantly less than her male co-anchor for the same role.
A Decade of Pay Disparity
Sandra Maas, 63, was awarded $1.775 million by an appeals court in San Diego this week, concluding a years-long legal battle. Maas had sued the local Fox affiliate KUSI and its owner, McKinnon Broadcasting Co., in June 2019 for gender-based pay discrimination.
Court documents revealed a stark pay gap. When Maas began co-anchoring the station's evening news in 2010, her salary was $120,000. Her male counterpart, Allen Denton, was earning $200,000 for the identical job. By the time Denton retired in 2019, his salary had risen to $245,000, while Maas was paid only $180,000.
As reported during the civil trial, Maas's attorneys argued the pair sat "side by side at the same news desk, reading from the same teleprompter, anchoring the same newscast," yet were paid very differently. After Maas sought equal compensation, the station chose not to renew her contract.
A Gruelling Path to Justice
The San Diego Superior Court initially ruled in Maas's favour, but the broadcaster's legal team appealed. The case was sent to an appellate court in 2024, which has now affirmed the original verdict.
One of Maas's attorneys, Josh D Gruenberg, told the Daily Mail: "After careful review, the Court of Appeal affirmed the verdict and rejected the defense's attempts to rewrite the outcome of a fair trial simply because it did not like the result." He described the ruling as a "true celebration" of equal pay rights that brought closure to a "grueling" chapter for his client.
"It takes courage to come forward, and even greater courage to withstand the blocks and tackles that followed in this case," Gruenberg added.
Defence Arguments Rejected
Lawyers for KUSI and McKinnon had contended that Denton's higher salary was justified by his greater experience and longer working hours. In a trial brief, they also claimed Maas was paid less because she was "not a good team member or journalist."
However, Maas's legal team presented evidence suggesting a discriminatory attitude at the station, alleging that management believed women over forty had a "cycle" and needed to make way for a "new generation," while men over forty did not.
Maas, who had a 33-year career in broadcast television before the trial, left KUSI in 2019. In a farewell message to viewers, she hinted at her future fight, saying: "And though I won't be delivering the news anymore from this anchor chair, I do hope to be making news. And making a difference for women in the workplace."
The Daily Mail has approached KUSI and McKinnon for comment on the appellate court's decision.
