Walsh Asking $723,802 for Her Demotion

An attorney for the county’s former finance director asked a Superior Court jury Thursday to award her $723,802 plus a “fair amount” in punitive damages for her demotion in 1995 after the county’s bankruptcy.

Attorney Steven J. Kaplan said Eileen T. Walsh deserved compensation for estimated lost future income after having her pay cut and being reassigned to the county trash department by acting chief administrator Thomas Uram, director of the county’s Health Care Agency.

Kaplan argued that the move violated Walsh’s employment contract and was done out of spite and sexual discrimination by Uram, who several witnesses testified had made disparaging remarks about her. The county’s attorneys contend that Uram moved Walsh to protect her from expected layoffs in the county administrative office.

Attorneys for both sides presented their closing arguments Thursday in the 4-week-old trial. The jury is expected to begin deliberations Monday.

The trial has offered a mini-replay of the turmoil surrounding the Board of Supervisors’ decision on Dec. 6, 1994, to declare bankruptcy after learning that former Treasurer Robert L. Citron had lost $1.64 billion in public money through risky investments. Among those testifying were Sheriff Brad Gates, former county executive officer William Popejoy and board Chairman William G. Steiner.

Kaplan said Walsh was singled out by Uram, who placed her on administrative leave within hours of taking command. He said Uram acted in concert with Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, who was furious that Walsh spoke to a Times reporter for a story about political contributions from financial firms seeking county business.

Kaplan questioned Uram’s truthfulness, reminding the jury that Uram admitted lying under oath. During his sworn deposition, Uram had denied making inappropriate sexual jokes at a going-away party for former Budget Director Ron Rubino in front of Rubino’s wife and teen-age daughters. After Kaplan produced a videotape of the event, which was played for the judge without the jury present, Uram admitted that he had made the jokes and lied about it.

“Only when confronted with the tape did he admit it,” Kaplan said. “How many times did he lie when we didn’t have a videotape to catch him?”

Kaplan said it was no accident that Walsh ended up at the trash department. He pointed to testimony that Uram and Integrated Waste Management Department Director Murry Cable had joked about wanting Walsh to work for them so they could “put her in her place.”

County attorney Norman Watkins provided a very different version of Walsh’s demotion for jurors. Contrary to her assertions, Watkins said, Walsh produced no direct evidence that she was discriminated against by Uram because of her gender. He also disputed that her employment agreement was violated.

He said Walsh rose through the ranks in county government during a time she worked for Uram in the Health Care Agency in the late 1980s, before going to the administrative office. She was moved after the bankruptcy, he said, because Uram wanted a “new team” in place that hadn’t been involved in county financial matters.

Watkins argued that another county administrative manager, Tony Carstens, had been fired at the same time despite having a job agreement similar to Walsh, which guaranteed she’d be returned to her previous job if she was moved.

“Tom Uram tried to save her a spot in county government,” Watkins said. “Tom Uram went the extra mile. There simply isn’t any evidence to suggest Mr. Uram discriminated against the plaintiff.”