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Show posts MenuQuoteA dentist acted legally when he fired an assistant that he found attractive simply because he and his wife viewed the woman as a threat to their marriage, the all-male Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.
The court ruled 7-0 that bosses can fire employees they see as an "irresistible attraction," even if the employees have not engaged in flirtatious behavior or otherwise done anything wrong. Such firings may be unfair, but they are not unlawful discrimination under the Iowa Civil Rights Act because they are motivated by feelings and emotions, not gender, Justice Edward Mansfield wrote.
An attorney for Fort Dodge dentist James Knight said the decision, the first of its kind in Iowa, is a victory for family values because Knight fired Melissa Nelson in the interest of saving his marriage, not because she was a woman.
QuoteA trip to a fast-food outlet that resulted in burger rage has earned an Auckland man a year's supervision and community work.
When David Junior Ilolahia, 35, ordered three burgers from New Lynn restaurant Wendy's - including a "Baconator" burger without bacon - two thirds of his order was incorrect.
Rather than returning it and advising staff of their error, Ilolahia devoured the burgers, while a violent rage brewed inside him.
At the counter he launched a whopper of a tirade against staff, while store managers tried to pacify him, but his anger - at receiving a chicken burger instead of a fish burger - could not be tamed.
Scared for their safety, Wendy's staff locked themselves inside an office and called police.
They too could not get through to the meat-fuelled man.
Eventually pepper spray was used against Ilolahia but had little effect.
Two police constables joined the sergeant who was first on site as the struggle continued outside.
A taser was also used on Ilolahia before he was finally restrained and taken into custody.
The incident on February 13 left one of the police officers with numerous lacerations to his upper body and right leg and resulted in Ilolahia facing five charges including intentional damage for ripping the sergeant's shirt.
At the Auckland District Court today Judge David Wilson agreed with defence counsel Eb Leary's analysis of the events as "bizarre" and said Ilolahia would benefit from alcohol counselling and attending a programme to address his "short fuse".
Leary described his client as a "workaholic" and said the fact he had been off work as a driver for a month because of an injury had caused him severe stress.
His father's recent death had also had a profound effect on him and he was now living with his widowed mother as the sole bread winner, Leary said.
Judge Wilson said the violent outburst was all the more peculiar because Ilolahia attended the Latter Day Saints church in Blockhouse Bay and previously seemed like someone of good character.
He was sentenced to a year's supervision, 60 hours community work and ordered to pay $50 for the damaged police shirt.
Leary said his client had apologised to Wendy's.