"I spent 27 years of my life doing this," she said in an interview Monday. Poverty in America estimates the livable wage in Iowa is $23.88 per hour. We must finally put money into the Iowa Natural Resources and Outdoor text-align: left !important; This is hard work but Im up for the challenge. Company statistics show that nearly 80% of its managers last year were men.Heitshusen, now public information officer for the Iowa State Auditor, got emotional recounting how the firing ended her award-winning journalism career. .votebox-covid-disclaimer { } Thats for a family of four with both adults working. } Company statistics show that nearly 80% of its managers last year were men. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Where Sonya Heitshusen & David Young stand on key issues in the House } Sonya Heitshusen is pictured on July 29, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa, on one of her last days as a reporter and anchor for WHO-TV, an NBC affiliate. She determined all of her children would receive the best education possible. .leg-hnt-flex-row { They have a lot of great ideas. } .widget-row.value-only { 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. She said in a statement last year she has guns in the home due to a history of threats against her as a journalist and political candidate, and that "an accidental discharge of the firearm occurred" as she was checking one of the weapons. display: inline-block; width: 35px !important; If youre thinking of altering your workout routine, youre probably looking for new exercises and equipment to help you reach your fitness goals. David Young advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on June 7, 2022. margin: 0; Recreation Fund, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2010. Who do you look up to? @media (max-width:600px) { } background-color: white; width: 100%; p.survey-response {margin-left:10px;} The lawsuit claims she was "thrown out to pasture" because she was deemed no longer fit to appear on camera while male anchors at the station got higher pay, among other better treatment. } font-style: italic; This is not the first time Nexstar has been issued lawsuits by female anchors and reporters. You dont see women on TV with gray hair and wrinkles, she told The Associated Press last week. font-size: 1.25em; I think I was good at it. a[aria-expanded=true] .fa-chevron-right { display: none; } Growing up on a family farm and completing three Ironman races, I know the meaning of hard work. .widget-row.Republican { .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;} Iowa House candidate charged after accidental shooting Police Report: Sonya Heitshusen Recklessly - Iowa Field Report Women are relevant after the age of 50. She said she was devastated last August. The youngest of six children, Sonya bailed hay and tended to livestock alongside her brothers. background-color: #dac113; They are hard workers and can make a difference.She said she was bringing the lawsuit to help spur a cultural shift in the industry that makes discrimination no longer acceptable.Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusens firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. }
float:right; if (typeof $ != 'undefined') { Sonya Heitshusen was born in Marengo, Iowa. The views and content on this page are the Sonya Heitshusen | Des Moines IA width: 250px; Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller. The company has denied wrongdoing and the case is scheduled for trial in July. "Where are all the women who are in TV broadcasting over 50? .widget-row.value-only.black { font-weight: bold; color: white; . Public policy. Heitshusen is represented by Des Moines civil rights attorneys Tom Newkirk and Jill Zwagerman, who specialize in showing how implicit biases can impact the workplace and have won landmark cases in the past. Sonya Heitshusen; 0 Comments ; Sonya Heitshusen: It's time to turn the page on bitter, divisive politics and usher in a new era of civility, courage, and common sense. margin: 3px 0; Roughly 700 waterways in Iowa are deemed impaired to the point they cannot be used for sources of drinking water or for recreation. Meanwhile, the suit claims that managers told Heitshusen she could not negotiate for more time off, that one once commented to her and another female anchor about losing weight, and that managers gave her more support for pursuing "softer" feature stories than investigative news, it claims. .leg-hnt-responsive-columns { Jan 2003 - Aug 202017 years 8 months. padding-left: 10px; was arrested this summer after she fired a handgun into her sliding glass door, sending the bullet across a busy city road. By following the money, she also exposed the states failure to track the tax dollars given to that organization. Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusens firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. Sonya Heitshusen is pictured on July 29, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa, on one of her last days as a reporter and anchor for WHO-TV, an NBC affiliate. She earned a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1992. .widget-img { ", "No one was hurt and no property was damaged other than my own," Heitshusen said in her statement. } Eger is a survivor of Auschwitz. .votebox-scroll-container { Heitshusen completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. 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. They are hard workers and can make a difference.. margin-top: 1em; There was no safety on the gun, and the gun did not belong to Heitshusen, according to the criminal complaint, which was filed Tuesday in Dallas County. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { Heitshusen, Read More Sonya Heitshusen is pictured on July 29, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa, on one of her last days as a reporter and anchor for WHO-TV, an NBC affiliate. # Sonya Heitshusen - Bleeding Heartland "Where are all the women who are in TV broadcasting over 50? } a report for the Auditors Office that showed an 890% increase in illegal denials of care by Managed Care Organizations in Iowa post-privatization. Where the candidates for Iowa House District 28 stand on education Analysis: Golden Knights need a little more than, Knights say theyre resilient group, vow to be better, New selfie studio experience in Las Vegas promises, Understanding visceral fat with Fast Fit Body Sculpting, Buying or selling a home in the current market with, CinemaCon 2023: A Preview Of This Years Biggest, 8-year-old Las Vegas boy recovering from rare brain, Red Rock Search and Rescue offer hiking safety tips, Nevada gets $251 million boost from strong economy;, Nursing mothers offered more protection in workforce, Deadly rollover crash blocks multiple lanes of traffic, Some charges cut in Vegas Hells Angels freeway gunfire, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. } Please, Iowa House of Representatives elections, 2022. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Heitshusen previously worked as a news anchor and reporter at WHO 13 and WOI in the Des Moines metro. flex: 0 0 175px; div.survey-scrollbox { height:400px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } padding-top: 5px; Iowa has plummeted in education rankings. EXCLUSIVE: Iowa-Based Organization Launches Six Figure Ad Buy in Support of School Choice. max-width: 600px; Meanwhile, the suit claims that managers told Heitshusen she could not negotiate for more time off, that one once commented to her and another female anchor about losing weight, and that managers gave her more support for pursuing softer feature stories than investigative news, it claims. .race_header { A Democratic Iowa House candidate has been charged with reckless use of a firearm after police say she shot a gun through a sliding glass door in her home last week. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. ", More: Iowa primary elections: Sonya Heitshusen wins House District 28 Democratic primary, will face Republican David Young. This spring, Le Creuset has introduced an exciting new shade thats already selling fast: shallot, a soft lavender with pink and slight gray undertones. font-weight: 500; .results_row td:first-child { padding-left: 10px; .leg-hnt-leadership { Heitshusen, 54, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021, against the station's parent company, Nexstar Media Group, Inc., alleging she was removed from the air because of her age and gender. background-color: #f9d334; Heitshusen, now public information officer for the Iowa State Auditor, got emotional recounting how the firing ended her award-winning journalism career. width: 100%; Ex-Iowa anchor hopes her age bias lawsuit changes TV news In addition to Nexstar, the lawsuit names Peterson and general manager Bobby Totsch as defendants. Sonya Heitshusen was born in Marengo, Iowa. Women are relevant after the age of 50. The only thing that signaled to me was that its my appearance.. p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} How to vote | I will fight to keep reproductive healthcare between a woman and her doctor. Sonya is most proud of her investigative work that resulted in real change for Iowans. color: white; Elections in 2023 | } 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. All rights reserved. break-inside: avoid-column; top: -5px; padding-left: 8px; A company spokesman didnt immediately return a message seeking comment. But a judge in January denied that motion, ruling that based on her statements to police, a jury could find she had intentionally pulled the trigger. 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.Heitshusen left WHO-TV last summer after what the station called a remarkable 17-year stint in which she was a hard-hitting news reporter and an anchor also known for softer segments on fitness. Heitshusen is represented by Des Moines civil rights attorneys Tom Newkirk and Jill Zwagerman, who specialize in showing how implicit biases can impact the workplace and have won landmark cases in the past.