Offering world-class education will strengthen our families, our communities, our workforce, and our state. .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well. .votebox-results-metadata { She determined all of her children would receive the best education possible. margin-right: 12px; } The lawsuit seeks orders requiring Nexstar to pay Heitshusen unspecified damages and to take remedial actions, including training for management on gender and age stereotypes and an analysis of how female employees have been treated. background-color: #003388; Sonya is now the Director of Communications for the Auditor of State Office and assists on performance and investigative reports conducted by the Auditors Office. display: inline-block; The lawsuit alleges Heitshusen, 54, was thrown out to pasture because she was no longer seen as camera-worthy, after years in which she saw her male colleagues receive better treatment from management. I truly believe that by working hard and working together, almost anything is possible. Heitshusen entered what is called an Alford plea, meaning she maintained her innocence but conceded the state had sufficient evidence to convict her and wished to take advantage of the plea deal. .race_header { width: 43%; Anchor the 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM newscasts at WHO-TV. Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusens firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. .contact_office { font-size: 0.8 em; margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} .panel-heading:hover { cursor: pointer;} padding-bottom: 0px; Today's breaking news and more in your inbox. } width: 50px; Will the Las Vegas MLB team be called the As? A year after WHO-TV in Des Moines abruptly let her go, she is turning those skills on her former employer with a lawsuit challenging what she calls a widespread practice of removing older, female staffers from the air because of their looks. William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. While seemingly a joke, the comment reflected a deeper truth that her age was a concern to management, it alleges. We must finally put money into the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor
"I spent 27 years of my life doing this," she said in an interview Monday. Heitshusen, now public information officer for the Iowa State Auditor, got emotional recounting how the firing ended her award-winning journalism career. She said she was devastated last August when she realized she could not report on the derecho, the powerful wind storm that ripped across the state. Take a look back at her remarkable career at WHO 13. box-sizing: border-box; background-color: #6db24f; As a prominent reporter and anchor at one of Iowas biggest local television stations, Sonya Heitshusen was known for doggedly investigating injustices and holding the powerful accountable.A year after WHO-TV in Des Moines abruptly let her go, she is turning those skills on her former employer with a lawsuit challenging what she calls a widespread practice of removing older, female staffers from the air because of their looks.Heitshusen filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit Tuesday against WHO-TVs parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., which calls itself Americas largest local television and media company, with 199 stations.The lawsuit alleges Heitshusen, 54, was thrown out to pasture because she was no longer seen as camera-worthy, after years in which she saw her male colleagues receive better treatment from management.