Hostile office or just hijinks?

Evidence in the wrongful termination lawsuit filed against Dr. Robert Peppercorn "demonstrates nothing more than the existence of a high-school-like relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate," his attorney Dennis R. Murphy argues.

But Erma Alaniz, the fired former office manager suing Peppercorn, said the 55-year-old doctor acting like a high-school boy with a crush led to overtures to a nurse's aide that were "destroying the office" and created a hostile work environment.

Jurors in the trial in federal court in Sacramento will hear closing arguments by attorneys today after seven days of testimony.

Alaniz contends her firing for insubordination came after complaining about the favoritism she said Peppercorn displayed toward the nurse's aide.

Deliberations are expected to begin after the judge's instructions to jurors today.

The doctor's wife, Judy Peppercorn, testified Monday about her interest in how her husband was spending money of the medical corporation in 2005 before nurse's aide, Tiffany Rasberry, then 26, ended her six months of employment.

"I didn't want to be naive," Mrs. Peppercorn said. "I wanted to be informed."

She said Alaniz had told her, "You have a right to know" and provided the doctor's wife with bank statements and phone records in June 2005.

Robert Peppercorn bought Rasberry a laptop computer, a table for her apartment and paid a $428 phone bill of Rasberry's, according to testimony.

Carrie Willis, who worked for Peppercorn as a licensed vocational nurse, testified that Rasberry was consistently passed over for opportunities to train in such procedures as liposuction.

Vanessa Carberry, a receptionist in the medical office for about 18 months, said during the trial Monday that she never saw Peppercorn and Rasberry engage in any improper interaction.

But noting rumors in the office about the two, Carberry said, "It was a very uncomfortable atmosphere."