A reporter from a newspaper in Ogden, Utah, was recently banned from entering a courtroom because her sleeveless blouse showed her bare shoulders.
While Morgan Briesmaster was denied entry, male reporters passed through the security line while wearing jeans and low-cut shirts.
Briesmaster returned to the paper’s office and picked up the only jacket available, a winter coat.
“Upon walking inside, we were once again greeted by security,” Briesmaster told the Standard-Examiner. “Only this time they said, ‘It’s pretty warm outside to be wearing a jacket.’ To which I said, ‘It sure is.’ I sat in the courtroom for two hours with [the] jacket on, not once was it removed.”
“He probably just had a bad day,” Briesmaster told the New York Daily News. “I was shocked that I couldn’t do my job because I wasn’t wearing capped sleeves.”
Court public information officer Nancy Volmer told the Standard-Examiner that shorts, hats, halter tops and tank tops are not welcome, but she was surprised by the incident.
“Typically, the bailiffs in the courtroom are the ones to enforce any dress code,” Volmer told the Standard-Examiner. “This sounds very unusual. I’ll let the court executive know about the situation and ask him to talk with the security guards at the screening area to clarify procedures. For now, I suggest she not wear sleeveless tops.”
However, numerous people, including defendants, reportedly wore skimpier outfits than Briesmaster.
Dantheman