Nelson v. Knight: Can a Worker Be Fired for Being Too Irresistible?

In Brief

• In Nelson v. Knight, the court unanimously held that a male employer may fire a female employee, though she did nothing wrong, because his wife was concerned about their relationship.
• Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits employers with at least 15 employees from discriminating against an employee because of his or her sex.
• Title VII is not a general fairness law, however, and an employer does not violate it by treating an employee unfairly as long as he or she does not act because of the employee’s protected status.