US Court - Employers can fire workers they find too sexy

The Iowa Supreme Court ruled on Dec 21,2012 Friday that employers in the state can legally fire workers they find too attractive.

In a unanimous decision, the court held that a dentist did not violate the state's civil rights act when he terminated a female dental assistant whom his wife considered a threat to their marriage.

The Case - Melissa Nelson v. James H. Knight DDS, PC and James Knight
The Dental Assistant, Melissa Nelson, who worked for Dentist James Knight for more than 10 years and had never flirted with him, according to the testimony of both parties, sued, saying she would not have been fired if she were a man.

At trial, Dentist James Knight testified he had complained to Nelson on several occasions that her clothing was too tight, revealing and "distracting."

In 2009 Dentist James Knight began exchanging text messages with Dental Assistant,Melissa Nelson,mostly  work-related and harmless,including one in which Knight asked Nelson how often she had an orgasm. She never answered the text.

In late 2009, Knight's wife found out about the text exchanges and demanded her husband terminate the dental assistant because "she was a big threat to our marriage."

In early 2010, he fired her, saying their relationship had become a detriment to his family.

Nelson sued, saying that she had done nothing wrong and contended that she would not have been terminated but for her gender.

Knight argued that Nelson was terminated not because of her gender - all the employees of his practice are women - but because of the way their relationship had developed and the threat it posed to his marriage.

The high court (consisting of seven justices, all men) ruled that bosses can fire workers they find too attractive and that such actions do not amount to unlawful discrimination.