Is Iowa going to be our first Taliban state? (dangerous, to move)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

Only IowaSTAN, apparently.

If you want to fight the heart of this issue I fully understand, but you're doing yourself, that woman and the topic a disservice by somehow trying to make this an "Iowa issue" when it's been explained by everyone on here how it's not.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

If you want to fight the heart of this issue I fully understand, but you're doing yourself, that woman and the topic a disservice by somehow trying to make this an "Iowa issue" when it's been explained by everyone on here how it's not.

Until I hear of more rulings like this in other states, I'm going to consider this an "Iowa issue".

[capitalcityguy]

Well, no one can tell you how to FEEL about the ruling, but you do have a choice on whether you want to consider it from strickly an emotional level or instead, from an intellectual standpoint. Maybe yesterday's editorial from the Register will help.

But, Mansfield wrote, civil rights employment laws are not “general fairness laws, and an employer does not violate them by treating an employee unfairly so long as the employer does not engage in discrimination based on the employee’s protected status.”

Anti-discrimination laws are designed to protect large classes of workers from unfair discrimination by employers, Mansfield wrote, whereas this is an isolated case of a firing “driven entirely by individual feelings and emotions regarding a specific person.” And the situation in this case “does not jeopardize” the goal of laws protecting protected classes from discrimination. Indeed, Knight exclusively employed female dental assistants — including Nelson’s replacement.

In other words, the ruling is bad for her but it does not implicate female workers in general.

Read more: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/art...en-to-be-jerks

[tollfree]

If the dentist preferred plus-size women, and had terminated one using the same grounds, there would be a much "bigger" problem.

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by ronniejonez

if the dentist preferred plus-size women, and had terminated one using the same grounds, there would be a much "bigger" problem.

lol!!!

[Lily0fthevalley]

Just to be clear, sexism IS alive and well in Iowa, more so than in other places I've lived. I think the younger people who post on C-D just see it as the regular sort of verbal rudeness that passes for social interaction now, and the older ones are part of the problem.

However, the other posters are right - "At Will" employment is just that, and the judge in the case was simply upholding existing law. I know this form of employment exists in other states - definitely in MN.

You might visit your regional law library to find out more about cases like this, because surely there have been many others that are similar. I love reading old court transcripts, they can be pretty entertaining!

[smpliving]

It's an unfortunate fact of life that degradation of women (and others) continues to exist on various levels as demonstrated by a couple of posters on this forum.

[atler8]

Chicago, pepe & capital,
Thank you for your non-emotional & fact/law-based postings here regarding this case.
It's a shame how emotions can cloud & obscure the interpretation of what is actually said in a court ruling. Of course this is not the first nor will it be the last time that happens.

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by atler8

Chicago, pepe & capital,
Thank you for your non-emotional & fact/law-based postings here regarding this case.
It's a shame how emotions can cloud & obscure the interpretation of what is actually said in a court ruling. Of course this is not the first nor will it be the last time that happens in IowaSTAN.

There. Fixed that for ya.

[atler8]

Like I said, "...emotions can cloud & obscure..."
Marilyn, try to detach yourself from your own personal beliefs here & step back & look over the previous postings as if you were an outside observer. Then try to find the ones that are based purely on what the poster knows about the law & it's interpretation. Then look them over and separate out the ones based purely on outrage & emotion.
You will find that they are very obviously & completely different in content. Sometimes jurisprudence can seem unjust & make people angry but that's the way it is.
Iowa does not corner the market on legal decisions that can anger people; far from it. I live in the South & if you want to put the Iowa judiciary into the "Taliban" category, have you got a surprise coming to you as to what's going on in the judiciary elsewhere!
Finally, just breath deeply. (;