Life just got a little tougher for irresistibly beautiful people. A state supreme court ruled on Friday that employers can fire employees simply for being too attractive.

The ruling did not take place here in New Jersey, but rather in the Midwest where a dental assistant was fired by her boss because he thought that she was so beautiful that her mere presence in the office was a threat to his marriage. While the firing might seem unfair, the court found that it was lawful in that it did not constitute discrimination under the state’s civil rights act.

The case took place in Iowa where the dental assistant was fired by her boss after more than 10 years of employment. Toward the end of the woman’s employment, her boss reportedly began making sexual comments and remarked that her clothing was too revealing.

The two also began sending text messages to each other outside of work. The employer’s wife, who also worked at the dental office, demanded her husband fire the assistant when she found out about the text messaging.

Shortly thereafter, he did just that. He told the dental assistant that she was a detriment to his family and therefore he had to let her go.

The ex-employee sued him alleging gender discrimination, but not sexual harassment.

A district court, however, sided with the employer who argued he fired her because of their relationship and a perceived threat to his marriage, not because of her gender. Ultimately, the state’s high court, which happens to be composed of all male justices, also agreed with the employer.

It is unclear whether this case may have ended differently in New Jersey, however there is a reason it has caught national attention. This case teaches us that not every employment action that is unfair is illegal. However, oftentimes when poor treatment does not seem to fit neatly into one of the federally protected classes of anti-discrimination laws — such as gender — the worker may still be protected under an umbrella of another state or federal employment law. Workers who have experienced similar treatment should not be discouraged from seeking legal counsel to learn whether they have any options for legal recourse.

Source: CNN, “Iowa Supreme Court: OK to fire ‘irresistible’ worker,” Dana Ford, Dec. 22, 2012

• More information about employment rights here in New Jersey is available on our Kingston law firm’s Employment Discrimination page.