Iowa high court: Bosses can fire workers who they consider an “irresistible attraction”

An attorney for Fort Dodge dentist James Knight said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for family values because Knight fired Melissa Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman.

What was not mentioned is that Mrs. Knight probably felt threatened. More than one woman has been fired because “the wife” was extremely jealous. My guess is that Mr. Knight’s marriage won’t last very long.

SC.Charlie on December 22, 2012 at 11:23 AM

Exactly. Maybe that’s the employer’s mistake in this story; he disclosed his reason for firing the woman.

Employers should not be required to give a reason for terminating employees. It should not matter. It is an employer’s fundamental right to keep his/her money.

Why is such a simple concept such as ‘property rights’ so terribly muddled?

Nephew Sam on December 22, 2012 at 11:13 AM

Employers are usually given the right to fire an employee for any reason. But when this woman was thrown into the unemployment line, my guess is that the people down at the unemployment office fell- over laughing. And, of course some over-eager lawyer thought he could make the dentist pay-up big. Now, I hope he and the fired woman are left with all the court costs.

SC.Charlie on December 22, 2012 at 11:31 AM

I should have read the entire article, here are the facts in the case:

Nelson, 32, worked for Knight for 10 years, and he considered her a stellar worker. But in the final months of her employment, he complained that her tight clothing was distracting, once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing, according to the opinion.

He also once allegedly remarked about her infrequent sex life by saying, “that’s like having a Lamborghini in the garage and never driving it.”

Knight and Nelson — both married with children — started exchanging text messages, mostly about personal matters, such as their families. Knight’s wife, who also worked in the dental office, found out about the messages and demanded Nelson be fired. The Knights consulted with their pastor, who agreed that terminating Nelson was appropriate.

Knight fired Nelson and gave her one month’s severance. He later told Nelson’s husband that he worried he was getting too personally attached and feared he would eventually try to start an affair with her.

Nelson was stunned because she viewed the 53-year-old Knight as a father figure and had never been interested in starting a relationship, Fiedler said.

SC.Charlie on December 22, 2012 at 11:43 AM