border-top: 1px solid #aaa; background-color: #f4f4f4; .votebox_legend .non_result_row { "Ive received ongoing threatening messages on social media," she said in the statement. In addition to Nexstar, the lawsuit names Peterson and general manager Bobby Totsch as defendants. .results_text { background-color: #f9f9f9; https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Sonya_Heitshusen&oldid=8819092, Iowa House of Representatives candidate, 2022, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. You dont see women on TV with gray hair and wrinkles, she told The Associated Press last week. margin: 8px auto; She earned a bachelor's degree from Iowa State University in 1992. She was a trailblazer in many respects. As a result, Iowans wont know until next year what Heitshusen said to the police or what other admissions she made when they interviewed her. Heitshusen said she was blindsided in April 2020 when the stations news director, Rod Peterson, informed her that the station was exercising a clause in her contract to fire her without cause as a business decision. She said she was told the company valued her and might be able to find her a lower-paying digital position, but nothing on the air. Heitshusen, now public information officer for the Iowa State Auditor, got emotional recounting how the firing ended her award-winning journalism career. color: white; by Luke Martz | Oct 19, 2022 | Campaigns, Legislature, State Government. } Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. . "The only thing that signaled to me was that it's my appearance.". font-size: .9em; } Her career experience includes working as a communications director for the Iowa Auditor of State and a television anchor and investigative reporter. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. position: absolute; border: 1px solid #999; clearInterval(nTimer); width: 100%; This saddens me. position: relative; (WHO-TV/Polk County Sheriff's Office) An award-winning news anchor was arrested for. .race_header, .results_text, .results_table_container, .votebox_legend { padding: 2px 0; Education is the foundation for every childs future. font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; They have a lot of great ideas. @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. They're dismayed by the recent attacks on teachers and the false claims by some GOP lawmakers that educators have a "sinister agenda." Heitshusen, now public information officer for the Iowa State Auditor, got emotional recounting how the firing ended her award-winning journalism career. display: block; 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. She admitted, though, that she fired the gun into the door but claims she shouldnt be held responsible. border:1px solid #FFB81F; .external_links_table { width: auto !important; } In particular, she maintains that this was an accident and in no way intentional," defense attorney Grant Woodard said in a statement emailed to the Register. Ms. Heitshusen will be . Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusens firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. text-align: left !important; State and local courts | Will the Las Vegas MLB team be called the As? DES MOINES, Iowa Former TV anchor and reporter Sonya Heitshusen is running to represent Iowa House District 28, she announced Thursday. color: white; We must also provide incentives to attract healthcare providers to underserved areas in our state. I will support our educators and appropriate the necessary funds to keep quality teachers in Iowa and attract new educators to the state. max-width: 75px; margin: 5px auto; ", The police complaint states that Heitshusen told law enforcement officers "that as she was placing the handgun onto the kitchen table, she pulled the trigger, discharging it. 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. 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. column-width: 175px; We will miss you, Sonya! Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. State executives | background-color: grey; .infobox p { She said she was told the company valued her. Sonya Heitshusen was born in Marengo, Iowa. NEXT DOOR SAYS HI SUSANS FIRING SWA A REDUCTION IN WORKFORCE. Her attorney, Grant Woodard, said she would vigorously defend herself in court. The only thing that signaled to me was that its my appearance.. .votebox { background-color: #db0000; Sonya graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Journalism. 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. recounted Heitshusen, who was the oldest female anchor in the station's history. Growing up on a family farm and completing three Ironman races, I know the meaning of hard work. I'm not just running to make Iowa better today. event.srcElement.innerText = '[show]'; Hearst Television participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. A female former television anchor for WHO-TV in Des Moines, Iowa, filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit Tuesday against the station's parent company, Nexstar Media Group Inc., alleging men were treated better by management, the Associated Press reported. break-inside: avoid-column; They are hard workers and can make a difference.. height: 22px; .leg-hnt-flex-column { whotv. Numerous people in my District have told me they're concerned about education in Iowa. } } Heitshusen has been affiliated with the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Team Run Free, the Central Iowa Shelter and Services, One Iowa, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Ankeny YMCA, and the Alzheimers Association. } .votebox-results-metadata { } text-align: left; padding-top: 8px; EXCLUSIVE: Iowa-Based Organization Launches Six Figure Ad Buy in Support of School Choice. ap photo Sonya Heitshusen is pictured in 2020 in Des Moines, on one of her last days as a reporter and anchor for WHO-TV, an NBC affiliate. .results_row { This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. .inner_percentage { .widget-row.value-only { I'm now asking you to allow me to represent you in the Iowa legislature, in the new . .widget-img {
.contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} Poverty in America estimates the livable wage in Iowa is $23.88 per hour. Where are all the women who are in TV broadcasting over 50? Sonya Heitshusen, who previously worked at WHO 13 and WOI, announced Thursday she's running for the House district that includes part of southeast Dallas County comprised of Van Meter, Adel, and parts of West Des Moines. The lawsuit also alleges that male anchors received higher pay, more vacation time and more on-air recognition for journalism awards, and that they were not judged by their appearances. 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According to the County Attorneys Office, the nieces role in the Heitshusen campaign creates a conflict of interest for which the judges impartiality might be reasonably questioned. margin-top: 5px; $(".collapse-all").on('click', () => { margin-bottom: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; .leg-hnt-district-number { Friday was Sonya Heitshusen's final day at WHO 13. To view Heitshusen's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here. background-color: #f9f9f9; 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. Iowa voters established the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Fund in 2010 but lawmakers haven't figured out a way to fund it. We need to fight for laws and programs that protect working families and put them first and not big corporations. padding-top: 3px; All rights reserved. div.survey-scrollbox { height:400px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } Heitshusen has pleaded not guilty. Ballot measures, Who represents me? letter-spacing: .03em; } .leg-hnt-leadership-title { She said she was bringing the lawsuit to help spur a "cultural shift" in the industry that makes discrimination no longer acceptable. David Young advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on June 7, 2022. We have a capacity for openness and candor in this state. You dont see women on TV with gray hair and wrinkles, she told The Associated Press last week. Rob Sand, who continues to employ Heitshusen as his public information officer, has not commented on Heitshusens arrest. She said she was devastated last August. width: 100%; Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusen's firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. margin: 0; margin: 0px 10px; She said she was bringing the lawsuit to help spur a "cultural shift" in the industry that makes discrimination no longer acceptable. background-color: grey; She sought treatment for infertility in the 1950s when options for women were few and far between. David Young defeated Sonya Heitshusen in the general election for Iowa House of Representatives District 28 on November 8, 2022. document.getElementById('leg-hnt-content6450bb2a28ea0').classList.add('leg-hnt-hide'); display: table; background-color: #f9d334; 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. In farewell segments, the NBC affiliate did not mention any reason for her departure. } Sonya believes in giving back to the community, serving on the Boards of Directors for the Alzheimers Association and the Ankeny YMCA, and being active in numerous philanthropic organizations, such as the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, Team Run Free, and One Iowa to name a few. } Click here to read the survey answers. } 7 in, Knights top Winnipeg 4-1 in Game 5, advance to second, Brossoit, Stone turn in standout performances as. While seemingly a joke, the comment reflected a deeper truth that her age was a concern to management, it alleges. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Sonya Heitshusen, 55, of West Des Moines is running for Iowa House District 28, which includes parts of West Des Moines, Van Meter and Adel. .leg-hnt-leadership > div { SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Trump Ramps up Attacks on DeSantis: 'Dropping Like a Rock', Russian Strikes on Pavlohrad Aim to Hamper Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Greg Abbott Criticized for Response to Texas Shooting: 'A New Low', Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse, Conservative Influencers Struggle With Countering Biden's Messaging. 2023 www.desmoinesregister.com. IOWA CITY 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. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { "I take full responsibility for the accident and we reported it to the police. The only thing that signaled to me was that its my appearance.. color: #6db24f; The only thing that signaled to me was that its my appearance.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.The lawsuit alleges that Heitshusen faced numerous micro-aggressions over the years, as her bosses treated male anchors more favorably and her age ultimately became seen as a liability.The lawsuit recounts an incident in which Peterson told the newsroom that Heitshusen had a reaction to the shingles vaccine but that others need not worry because only her advanced age caused her to need the shot in the first place. The company has denied wrongdoing and the case is scheduled for trial in July. She was valedictorian of her class and earned music and academic scholarships to Valparaiso University but her father refused to let her attend.