Court Rules Firing Woman Because she was ‘Too Attractive’ was Legal

Bad news if you’re a looker, it seems, as a Supreme Court in the US has ruled that it’s perfectly legal to fire a woman for being too attractive.

In the baffling case, the Iowa Supreme Court decided on Friday to stand over a judge’s ruling, made last December, that a dentist acted legally when he fired an assistant because he found her too attractive. He claimed that he was worried he would try to start an affair with his employee if she remained in the company.

Dentist James Knight faced a discrimination lawsuit from former assistant Melissa Nelson, who he acknowledged had been a model employee for over 10 years.

Knight told the court that his assistant, more than twenty years his junior, had become a threat to his marriage as he had become very attracted to her. Upon her firing, Nelson was replaced with another woman, and Knight admitted that his staff was made up solely of female employees.

Dentist Knight's move to fire his assistant was backed by the court

The court, which had no female representatives, ruled that bosses can fire employees they see as threats to their marriages, even if the employees have not engaged in any inappropriate behavior. The court said such firings do not count as illegal sex discrimination because they are motivated by feelings, not gender.

Appearing on CNN Friday night, assistant Melissa Nelson said the decision was deeply unfair, and confirmed she was never interested in Knight romantically.