They have a lot of great ideas. width: 100% 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. padding-bottom: 3px; We need to fight for laws and programs that protect working families and put them first and not big corporations. a report for the Auditors Office that showed an 890% increase in illegal denials of care by Managed Care Organizations in Iowa post-privatization. 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. Ex-Iowa anchor hopes her age bias lawsuit changes TV news Is there a story that youve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? font-size: 0.9em; Nexstar, which has characterized Heitshusens firing as a reduction in its workforce, has faced other lawsuits in recent years from female reporters and anchors. Now, people are leaving the state in search of better schools and a more welcoming environment. 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. } 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. The minimum wage in our state remains $7.25 per hour the lowest of any neighboring state while Illinois's minimum wage is $12 per hour and Minnesota's is $10 per hour. I'm now asking you to allow me to represent you in the Iowa legislature, in the new . Democrat Sonya Heitshusen and Republican David Young are running in Iowa House District 28, an open seat in Dallas County . 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. This saddens me. Most of that area is currently part of District 19 . "It has to change. Growing up on a family farm and completing three Ironman races, I know the meaning of hard work. I also get my advocacy for education from my mother. }. You dont see women on TV with gray hair and wrinkles, she told The Associated Press last week. 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.