Melissa Nelson, Iowa Woman Fired Over ‘Irresistible’ Claims, Gets Lawsuit Reheard

Melissa Nelson, an Iowa dental assistant who was fired allegedly over dubious reasons, made progress lawsuit against him.
Melissa Nelson, Iowa Woman Fired Over ‘Irresistible’ Claims, Gets Lawsuit Reheard
Jack Phillips
6/28/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

Melissa Nelson, an Iowa dental assistant who was fired allegedly over dubious reasons, made progress lawsuit against him.

Nelson was fired by her boss, Dr. James Knight, because she was an “irresistible attraction,” court records document, according to to Live 5 News. Documents showed that his wife told him to fire her.

“His reasoning was, I was affecting his home life, and his personal life and that it was time for me to go,” Nelson told the station.

According to ABC News, she spent 10 years forking for Knight until he fired her. In the incident, Knight summoned Nelson, a married mother of two, to a meeting while a pastor was present before reading from a piece of paper, saying she was fired.

She later sued for gender discrimination. “I’m not attracted to him. I’ve never been attracted to him,” Nelson told Live 5.

“I just thought of myself as this everyday person that came to work,” she added.

In December, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that her firing was unfair but not illegal. However, in June, the court is taking another look at the decision.

“I did my job to the best of my abilities, I work hard,” Nelson told the station.

Knight’s attorney, however, said the move was legal.

“Dr. Knight’s dismissal of Mrs. Nelson was perfectly legal according to all of the well-established case law not only in Iowa but in every other jurisdiction that has considered similar claims,” lawyer Stu Cochrane said in a statement obtained by ABC.

Knight’s attorney told ABC that Knight and his wife consulted a pastor at their church, who said that Nelson should be fired to protect their marriage.

Jack Phillips is a breaking news reporter with 15 years experience who started as a local New York City reporter. Having joined The Epoch Times' news team in 2009, Jack was born and raised near Modesto in California's Central Valley. Follow him on X: https://twitter.com/jackphillips5
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