WORKER'S BIAS CLAIM SPELLED OUT ATTORNEY SAYS CLIENT GOT GOOD EVALUATIONS.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

A 15-year Burbank employee passed over for promotion despite outstanding performance reviews was the victim of bias against older women in the workplace, her attorney argued in court Friday.

Deborah McMurray, 57, who served as an administrator in the city's Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, also was retaliated against when her doctor declared her overworked, attorney Brad Gage told jurors Friday in her lawsuit trial.

``Ms. McMurray persevered,'' Gage said. ``Her evaluations remained terrific. But the hard work caught up with her.''

In trying to prove herself, Gage said, McMurray accumulated hundreds of hours in overtime, suffering from stress and anxiety.

McMurray, who is suing the city of Burbank for more than $1 million, filed suit two years ago with three other women, who settled out of court for what Burbank has called nominal sums.

The case is being tried in Superior Court in downtown Los Angeles.

Attorney Irma Rodriguez Moisa, representing Burbank, told jurors that McMurray, who held one of the top 50 positions in the city, was treated respectfully but that she ``was an individual who refused to recognize she did not have the necessary skills for the position.''

Within her performance evaluations, Moisa said, supervisors wrote McMurray had difficulty in stressful situations, that she was overexcited and lacked social skills.

Burbank City Manager Mary Alvord, who testified Friday, had been the city's director of parks while McMurray worked there. She told Gage that, in her evaluations, she wrote that McMurray needed to improve her relationships with other departments.

But Gage showed numerous documents signed by Alvord that showed McMurray had received ``outstanding'' marks and was even given bonuses.

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com