An Iowa dentist was within his legal rights when he fired a longtime employee he found to be "irresistible" and a threat to his marriage, the State Supreme Court unanimously ruled.

The seven justices, all male, affirmed on Friday a lower court's decision in favor of Dr. James Knight, who terminated Melissa Nelson after employing her for 10 and a half years as a dental assistant.

Knight acknowledged in court documents that Nelson was good at her job and she, in turn, said she was generally treated with respect.

When Nelson's husband tried to reason with Knight, the dentist told him he "feared he would have an affair with her down the road if he did not fire her."

http://news.yahoo.com/court-irresistible-workers-fired-203924415--abc-news-topstories.html

Court ruled in dentist's favor.

Ha ha..."Too" sexually attractive. D@mn typing two fast!

Classy. The dentist was worried he couldn't keep it in his pants and would ruin his marriage with this woman? Way to go and broadcast that to the world.

and this may just be a ploy agreed upon between the two of them to get her some attention,,,,

Is that supposed to help his marriage? It's not about being around something sexy... it's about how the brain works. I did say he is saving himself from attempting rape. There is a high possibility the lady might not play to his tune and his animalistic tendencies might erupt. So he just saved himself from going to jail not actually his marriage. I guess he spends much time checking out the lady than he does one a tooth.
This is my opinion.

there is more to that story,, even the story itself mentioned that he claimed the woman (also married) acted inapproprieately at work. Perhaps she was likewise coming onto him, after ten years, who knows. THe fact that he employed her ten years, tells me something changed.

According to the story, the dentist claimed that he feared that he would end up having an affair with the woman he fired.

It seems to me that the woman was punished for the dentist's weakness.

read the link provided in the op

'"Our position has always been Mrs. Nelson was never terminated because of her gender, she was terminated because of concerns her behavior was not appropriate in the workplace. She's an attractive lady. Dr. Knight found her behavior and dress to be inappropriate."

read the link provided in the op

'"Our position has always been Mrs. Nelson was never terminated because of her gender, she was terminated because of concerns her behavior was not appropriate in the workplace. She's an attractive lady. Dr. Knight found her behavior and dress to be inappropriate."

"Dr. Knight found her behavior and dress to be inappropriate."

It seems to me that the dentist simply found his assistant sexually attractive, and he thought of himself as being to weak to resist temptation to have an affair.

I know, thats how the op implies it happens.

Im just considering that 'innapropriate behavior' can actually happen,,,,and be cause for dismissal

Unless the assistant had some kind of labor contract, the dentist had the authority to determine what was inappropriate.

something is fishy; this guy either has a history of cheating or something else.

Also look at some women in business. they are dressed more to party in vegas than professionally working in an office.

I did a meeting the other day and the girls top was so low cut even she started pulling up her shirt and eventually wore someone's coat.

The law may be on the side of the dentist, but what a woman wears isn't going to make him have an affair. If he has an affair, it is because of his weakness.

And WHY don't we have a picture of her!!!!

I wonder if she really behaved inappropriately or was it the dentist's inapropriate appetite that lead him to some inappropriate thoughts to project onto her

Dr Knight gave no specific accusation about her inappropriate dress or behavior but court documents show that he once told her in work that she would know if her clothes were too tight if she saw a bulge in his pants! Wow if that isn't the textbook definition of sexual harassment and discrimination then I don't know what is. This woman got fired because Dr sent a text message asking how many times the woman orgasmed (which was ignored)then his wife found it and demanded the woman be fired. Again sexism, this woman is being punished because this Dr and wife can't trust themselves. Ridiculous that this court upheld it, please appeal.

definitely - the good Dr sounds like the guilty one - it is text book sexual harrassment - sounds like she has a case - especially if his comments and attentions were unwanted

I do hope that Melissa Nelson has a legal basis for a federal appeal. The dentist's claim that she was irresistible is false. He can control his behavior around a woman no matter how she dresses.