Iowa Hotel Clerk Fired for not Having Midwest Girl Look

Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Ellen Degeneres: wrong look for Iowa

Being compared to Ellen DeGeneres doesn’t go over well with Heartland Inns of America. The hotel chain fired clerk Brenna Lewis because she was considered too masculine looking and lacked “the Midwestern girl look.” Lewis sued her former employer, but a lower court threw out the lawsuit, only to have a St. Louis-based appeals court reinstate the case. Lori Stifel, Lewis’ former manager, who stuck up for her when management complained about Lewis’ appearance, admitted she had “an Ellen DeGeneres kind of look,” which was said to include loose fitting clothing, men’s button-down shirts and slacks, no makeup and short hair. Stifel herself was forced to resign because of her support for Lewis.

-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Fired 'Tomboy' Hotel Clerk Wins Bias Appeal (by Annie Youderian, Courthouse News Service)

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