Melissa Nelson photos: Iowa court looks again at woman sacked for being too attractive
THE Iowa Supreme Court will look again at Melissa Nelson. And look again. And again. Nelson is the married mother of two fired for being “irresistible“.
For 10 years Melissa Nelson worked as a dental hygienist at Dr. James Knight’s surgery. And then he sacked her. Why? She claims it was because she was perceived as a threat to his marriage.
She filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit. In December 2012, the Iowa State Supreme Court ruled that Knight broke no laws. Stuart Cochrane, an attorney for James Knight, told media:
“We do think the Iowa Supreme Court got it completely right. Our position has always been Mrs. Nelson was never terminated because of her gender, she was terminated because of concerns her behavior was not appropriate in the workplace. She’s an attractive lady. Dr. Knight found her behavior and dress to be inappropriate.”
But now they are going to revisit that decision.
Nelson is hopeful. Nelson’s attorney, Paige Fiedler, tells ABC News:
“I can tell you she was surprised and delighted by the news that the Iowa Supreme Court has withdrawn its earlier ruling,” “Not only does this breathe new life into her court case, it eliminates what many of us believed was a harmful legal and misguided precedent.”
The court heard that Knight allegedly said of Nelson’s sex life:
“That’s like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.”
She told the court:
“I was very surprised after working so many years side by side I didn’t have any idea that that would have crossed his mind.”
Knight started commenting on her clothing being too tight or distracting.
“Dr. Knight acknowledges he once told Nelson that if she saw his pants bulging, she would know her clothing was too revealing.”
Six months before the sacking, the pair had gotten into texting each other. In one text, Nelson asked her “how often she experienced an orgasm”.
Nelson did not respond to the text. She said it made her feel uncomfortable.
Knight’s wife, Jeanne, learnt of the text. She works at the same surgery. She told her husband to sack Nelson.
The couple then consulted with a senior pastor at their church and he agreed that Nelson should be terminated in order to protect their marriage, according to Cochrane, Knight’s attorney.
Nelson says that if she were a man she’d still have her job. We’d argue that were Nelson a man, she would not have been hired in the first place…
Posted: 28th, June 2013 | In: Reviews Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
