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    What Year Is It?

    Firing a woman for being too attractive and irresistible is perfectly legal? Only in Iowa

    Julia Davila
    Jul 16, 2013 | 10:58 am

    Apparently, they do things a little differently in Iowa.

    The Iowa Supreme Court ruled in favor of a dentist who fired his female assistant for being too "attractive." The votes were unanimous in an all-male court ruling. Her boss had the right to fire her because she was a "threat" to his marriage. The court explained that this does not count as illegal sex discrimination because the firing was motivated by feelings (the dentist's attraction to his assistant), not gender.

    Dr. James Knight fired his dental assistant, Melissa Nelson, back in 2010. Having worked as a dental assistant for 10 years, Nelson wasn't the only woman on Knight's staff. As a matter of fact, his whole staff included just women.

    The dentist allegedly once told Nelson that if his pants were bulging then it was a sign that her clothes were too tight.

    Why did Nelson get fired? Because she wore outfits that the doctor deemed too tight and he was in fear that he would cheat on his wife. In fact, in court filings, the doctor called Nelson "irresistible."

    Paige Fielder, Nelson's attorney, asked the court to reconsider the initial decision made in December of last year. The court ruled in favor of Knight then, but withdrew the opinion after the case became a national controversy. Fielder calls the new decision a "blow for gender and racial equity in the workplace."

    The all-male court ruled that bosses can fire employees they see as an 'irresistible attraction,' even if those employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior.

    Knight's wife, Jeanne, who also worked at her husband's clinic, discovered text messages between Knight and Nelson and demanded that Nelson be fired. Jeanne testified that she found it strange that Nelson would hang around the office after work instead of wanting to get home to her children and husband after a long day away from them.

    The only outfit Nelson claims to have worn to work are the standard scrubs that many nurses and dental assistants wear. The dentist allegedly once told Nelson that if his pants were bulging then it was a sign that her clothes were too tight.

    Nelson is married with two children and maintains that she was never interested in her boss romantically, regardless of his own feelings towards her.

    "The issue before us is not whether a jury could find that Dr. Knight treated Nelson badly," the ruling reads. "We are asked to decide only if a genuine fact issue exists as to whether Dr. Knight engaged in unlawful gender discrimination when he fired Nelson at the request of his wife. For the reasons previously discussed, we believe this conduct did not amount to unlawful discrimination, and therefore we affirm the judgment of the district court."

    Nelson has been working as a waitress since Knight fired her.

    Melissa Nelson: Too irresistable?

    Melissa Nelson dental assistant in Iowa fired
      
    KRMG.com
    Melissa Nelson: Too irresistable?
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    This Week's Hot Headlines

    Predicting Texas Monthly's 2025 best BBQ list and more popular stories

    CultureMap Staff
    May 24, 2025 | 10:59 am
    Truth BBQ tray
    Courtesy of Truth BBQ
    Houstonians might riot if Truth BBQ falls out of the top 10.

    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, beginning with our predictions on an anticipated barbecue ranking. Plus, two Houston suburbs find the spotlight, and a fancy burger joint says goodbye. Get the details on our most popular stories below, then head to this guide to find the best Memorial Day weekend events.

    1. Predicting 13 barbecue joints that could make Texas Monthly's new top 10. On May 27, Texas Monthly will publish its latest ranking of the state’s 50 best barbecue joints. Before the list drops, CultureMap's Eric Sandler shares his predictions on who will make the cut.

    2. 10 Houston restaurants spicing up brunch with fresh new flavors. A wave of new and established Houston restaurants are rolling out fresh takes on everyone's favorite weekend indulgence. These 10 new options are delivering bold brunches with global influences and tipsy tinctures.

    3. East Coast-inspired tavern shakes up Rice Village with 'World's Coldest Martini'. The “World’s Coldest Martini” has arrived in Rice Village with the opening of Hudson House's second Houston-area location.

    4. 2 Houston neighbors shine as top-10 best places to live in the U.S. The Houston suburbs of Pearland and League City have landed among the top three best places to live in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report.

    Pearland water towerAll eyes are on Pearland. City of Pearland - Government/Facebook

    5. Ben Berg's New York-inspired, fancy burger joint will soon shutter. The original location of Ben Berg’s fancy burger joint will soon serve its last meal.


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