Melissa Nelson, an Iowa Hygienist, was fired by her boss for being “irresistible”- with the supreme court ruling that her employer broke no discrimination laws. She spoke out against their ruling on December 22nd, 2012: “The last couple of days have just been an emotional roller coaster. I’m trying to stay strong. It’s tough, I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it’s right. With regard to the ruling, I think it is sending a message that men can do whatever they want in the work force.” She had been working got the dental office for more then 10 years working with her employer, Dr. James Knight.
Their ruling was based off of a ruling from a lower court- and it did not constitute sex discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act. She was not fired because of her gender, the court ruled, but because her boss and his wife felt Nelson was a threat to their marriage. They simply could not rule out every other similar ruling with similar facts. Under the traditional employment at will doctrine, employees can in general be fired for any reason or no reason as long as it doesn’t violate civil rights or fair employment laws, a personal services or union contract, or an employee handbook provision.
There has been many claims about how inappropriate the dentist could be at work, and according to the report by ABC News, Dr. Knight’s wife had noticed offending text messages and ordered her husband to fire Nelson. After he discussed it with his pastor, her decided it would be best to let Melissa Nelson go. Nelson said she is happily married and was not having an affair with her boss. She said she routinely wore scrubbs while on the job, not tight clothing. She admitted that she is still struggling with the court’s decision that the firing, while unfair, was not unlawful. Although people act for a variety of reasons, it is common for women to be targeted for discrimination because of sexual attractiveness or supposed lack of sexual attractiveness.