Iowa Supreme Court OKs firing of "irresistible" employees

http://jezebel.com/5970736/iowa-supreme-court-says-it-was-totally-cool-f...

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The [s]most esteemed Iowa circle jerk[/s] all-male Iowa Supreme Court ruled 7-0 on Friday that a dentist was totally within his legal rights when he fired his female assistant because he and his wife all held hands and decided that the woman was a threat to their marriage. In other words, a female employee in Iowa was fired because her boss found himself leering at her too often, and this incapacity to behave like a decent, professional human somehow, in the hothouse imagination of the Iowa Supreme Court, became her problem.

After getting too many root-canal boners, crafting strange sexual metaphors, and consulting with his pastor, James Knight, a dentist, family man, and God-fearing Christian, fired Melissa Nelson, his assistant of ten years. Though such a firing may be unfair, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote it does not constitute unlawful termination under the Civil Rights Act because Knight didn't fire Nelson because of her gender or anything — he fired her because of his feelings and emotions. See? And you were getting all outraged for nothing!

According to the AP, Nelson's attorney Paige Fiedler (obviously) disagreed with the Court's opinion, saying (in so many words) that the justice sausage-party assembled to render this decision failed to understand the sexual discrimination women routinely face in the workplace. Fiedler told the AP,

These judges sent a message to Iowa women that they don't think men can be held responsible for their sexual desires and that Iowa women are the ones who have to monitor and control their bosses' sexual desires. If they get out of hand, then the women can be legally fired for it.

[url=<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/justice/iowa-irresistible-worker/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 wrote:

CNN[/url]]An">http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/justice/iowa-irresistible-worker/index.htm... attorney for Melissa Nelson, the fired employee, said the decision was wrong.

"We are appalled by the court's ruling and its failure to understand the nature of gender bias," said Paige Fiedler, the attorney. "For the seven men on the Iowa Supreme Court not to 'get it' is shocking and disheartening. It underscores the need for judges on the bench to be diverse in terms of their gender, race and life experiences."