Norby Denies Woman’s Charge

A lawyer for the former director of Orange County’s Office on Aging told jurors Wednesday that his client was wrongfully fired and that Supervisor Chris Norby touched her inappropriately during a meeting.

Pamela Mokler, who was fired in 2003 and is suing the county, contends Norby created a hostile work environment by making inappropriate comments about her appearance and brushing his elbow against her breast while the two were alone in his office.

An attorney for the county disputed Mokler’s claims during the opening day of the case, which is being heard in Superior Court in Santa Ana. He said the supervisor did not touch the woman as she contends and that the supervisor acted professionally during their three meetings.

Norman Watkins, the county’s lawyer, also maintains that the county acted properly in firing Mokler. The county contends Mokler violated county policy in negotiating contracts, including one that involved a former boyfriend.

The trial is expected to last several weeks and will include testimony from several high-placed county employees, including Norby. The supervisor said he intended to attend as much of the trial as possible.

“We will not let taxpayers pay for groundless lawsuits, nor will I be used as a scapegoat for a former employee’s serious error of judgment,” Norby said during a break in Wednesday’s proceedings. “This is a shakedown of Orange County taxpayers. She wants money from the county because of groundless allegations against me.”

Mokler’s attorney, H. Bryan Card, said the former employee was a dedicated worker who was fired in retaliation for accusing the county of violating federal laws. He also said some county employees conspired against her because they were envious of her success. Among those accomplishments was a trip to Washington, D.C., where Orange County’s aging program was heralded as a model for the nation.

“After she got here, she accomplished a tremendous amount,” Card said. “There were those in county government that just couldn’t stand it.”