Mom Suing After Wet T-Shirt Leads to Arrest at Fla. Splash Park

[MrScorpio]

(Aug. 5) -- A central Florida woman who was arrested after her shirt got wet at a kiddie splash park in Tavares is suing the city for violating her rights, the woman's attorney told AOL News.

"We are trying to vindicate her establish what was done to her was unconstitutional and wrong," said civil rights attorney Howard S. Marks.

The incident that provoked the lawsuit occurred in April when Janet Lovett and her husband took their 7-year-old son, who is autistic, to the Children's Splash Park in Tavares. While she was in the park, Lovett was splashed by water, which soaked the front of her white T-shirt and made her padded bra visible.

"She was ultimately approached by an individual professed to be a city employee and she was not appropriately dressed for the park," Marks said. " she would have to change into a bathing suit or some other clothing."

Marks said his client left her husband with their child, put a towel over her shoulders and walked out of the city-owned park. She was planning on going home to get a bathing suit when she was approached in the parking lot by a police officer.

" police officer confronted her and started essentially quizzing her and demanding information from her, stating that she needed to put Mrs. Lovett's name in a database," Marks said.

Lovett, a Peruvian native who was granted American citizenship in January, speaks English, albeit "not perfectly," Marks said. She said she explained the situation to the officer and requested to speak with her husband. The officer allegedly denied that request and asked Lovett to produce her identification. She had none with her and told the officer it was in her car.

"I started shaking. I nervous. My son was inside park with husband. I was alone," Lovett said in an interview with ABC-affiliate WFTV. " very scared. I never been arrested before."

A police report obtained by WFTV indicates Lovett did not give her name fast enough. As a result, she was taken into custody on suspicion of obstructing justice and resisting arrest.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/janet-lovett-suing-after-wet-t-shirt-at-florida-splash-park-leads-to-arrest/19582458

[EFerrari]

1. I first read that as WTFTV. n/t

[20score]

15. + 1,000

[villager]

2. "suspicion of obstructing justice!?" We've let these fucking cops get away

...with everything, for far too long...

[20score]

13. Yes indeed! Whether they like it or not, they ultimately work for the public.

It is way past time to fire - or jail the worst - of those who betray the public trust.

[fishbulb703]

63. +1 Habeus corpus much?

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pnwmom]

14. Yeah. We need to see pictures of all the guys who were shirtless there that day. n/t

[Lochloosa]

18. Well, you asked.

[activa8tr]

25. ARREST THAT MAN, Officer! I can see his nipple!

Oh please arrest that man and bring him to me for judgement! LOL

[Raineyb]

38. Thank you.

What was the point again?

:evilgrin:

[pnwmom]

39. LOL. n/t

[kurtzapril4]

76. Arrest him!

I see a nipple! Then send him directly to the jail in my basement!

[Kali]

91. hee hee

test

[jobycom]

4. Should have tasered her too-slow-to-give-her-name ass.

I'm tired of these people coming to America and taking our tee shirts just to get them wet and show their padded bras. The Bible says "Thou shalt not suffer a wet tee shirt that shows a padded bra, for it is an abomination. Whosoever is not white and weareth a wet tee shirt shall be taseredeth in a swimming pool."

And kill all the Ruskies, too. I still don't trust them, ever since they bombed as at Char-no-bill.

[Hannah Bell]

9. :>)

[AlabamaLibrul]

5. Sorry, but I'm not for "big govt" in the case of civil liberties. This is bullshit. n/t

[MilesColtrane]

7. *oink*

[Cant trust em]

8. THey'll let women wear bikinis, but not padded bras?

Weird.

[Hannah Bell]

10. padded bras under t-shirts are -- arousing. you know.

especially on luscious hispanic mothers.

that mom thing.

[awoke_in_2003]

53. i happen to like...

luscious hispanic mothers :)

[ThomCat]

11. Very weird.

She was probably better covered than many of the women in the park.

It says she was Peruvian and didn't speak English very well. How much do you want to bet that there was a Racial aspect to this arrest.

:grr:

[jobycom]

12. Maybe the padded bra wasn't hawt enough. They just wanted to see her boobies better.

Prudes are usually just pervs without the courage.

[pnwmom]

16. How did they know it wasn't a swim top? n/t

[dflprincess]

48. It probably covered her better than a swimming suit top would n/t

[grace0418]

99. I know, what's the fucking difference? If she'd thought quickly enough, she should've just

said "Oh, this is my bathing suit." Regardless, the whole thing is RIDICULOUS. It's a water park. People get wet.

[Mac1949]

17. She wasn't arrested for anything she did, but for what the

cop suspected she might possibly have been thinking of doing.:mad: :grr:

[Demeter]

19. I Hope The Damages Award Is Big Enough

to get her autistic kid all the help he'll need for the rest of his life.

Where's my T-shirt and a water park? My daughter could also benefit from such a program....

[RC]

20. The mother was guilty of not being born white enough.

And the cops are guilty of harassment because of it.

[BurtWorm]

21. Of being too Hispanic, it sounds like.

[gratuitous]

22. Well, this was in Florida

We can be absolutely sure that nothing like this will happen in Arizona. The police will even-handedly and fairly enforce the "papers please" law such that a legal citizen like Ms. Lovett will be accorded every opportunity to establish her right to exist before she's hauled off to the hoosegow on the suspicion that she's not American enough.

[activa8tr]

27. In Arizona, the hispanic women must carry their papers in their

well,.... you decide where the cop wants to look for it.

[FourScore]

55. Of having breasts. n/t

[activa8tr]

23. A padded BRA? A padded BRA? I cannot look!!!!! Does this mean

Does that mean that when men go swimming with a jockey strap under their swim trunks and it can be seen after the swim trunks are wet...then we must arrest those men?

This is such incredible prudish Victorianism, not even in post Victorian England do we see this.

In France, Italy, and Spain, topless women on beaches are a common sight, well accepted. What's WRONG with America?

[Lorien]

42. No doubt a swim suit would have been more revealing. Seems more like racism

run amok to me. I live in Central Florida and there are many, many racist, sexist highly corrupt cops down here. They'll just make shit up to ticket a person for having a bumper sticker that they don't like. And seeing a bra under a wet t-shirt? You see that just about every day here! Drive along any major road during an afternoon rainstorm and you'll see many men, women and children who have been caught in the rain and are soaked to the skin. The officer's excuse is exceptionally lame.

[RadiationTherapy]

24. If men can't play with them or jerk-off over them, PUT THEM AWAY!

Women and their TITS all the time. I wish they would just leave them at home. Without our purity laws, I would be a raving, raping lunatic!

[WinkyDink]

26. So, men had to go up and "question" her? Heh heh.

[leveymg]

28. Sounds like a subplot from Modern Family or Cougar Town. eom

[jberryhill]

29. It's called a burkini...

oh, wait. Wrong thread...

[RC]

31. Why is her face uncovered?

Some man may see that and not be able to control his dirty thoughts. Cover her face.

[awoke_in_2003]

54. and don't forget the ankles...

I almost split my pants when I saw those :)

[seabeyond]

58. talk about some unknown woman as your own person plaything per post 53

then another jab at a woman for covering up.

sometimes it just gets damn creepy.

[awoke_in_2003]

66. on edit:

we both had a small misunderstanding, and my tone was a bit harsher than it should have been. My apologies :hi:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

30. "put a towel over her shoulders" this would have covered her. Her crime was not having papers. Sig

heil.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

52. Delete

[Brewman_Jax]

32. Your papers, please

Your papers are not in order. You will come with us.

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. So the solution to seeing a bra through a shirt, is to take off the shirt and put on a differentbra.

Fucking morons.

[Wednesdays]

34. They questioned her because people could see her PADDED BRA?

:wtf:

Seriously, WTF? We're living in the 1880's or something?

[jobycom]

47. They are still looking for weapons of mass destruction.

See, Cheney told them to be on the lookout for Peruvian-American moms, because Al-Qaiada smuggled the WMDs out of Iraq to Peru and worked them into padded bras.

It's all part of the war on terror, so don't ask questions no more. :P

[awoke_in_2003]

56. The bigger the cup...

the bigger the bomb. I volunteer to help protect our country by making these dangerous inspections. :)

[seabeyond]

59. do you have issue, as i watch you just go down this thread. really

be a little more demeaning to woman. maybe you can really tear this woman up, that has already had men fuck with her cause she is female.

[awoke_in_2003]

62. the post you responded to...

I will agree, lacked taste and respect. As to the luscious hispanic mother- well, that describes my wife. And the thing about the ankles was adding to post that was pointing out how ridiculous some men react to women and the human form in general.

[seabeyond]

68. my post

was clarifying that the ridiculous reaction, (lacked taste and respect), seems to be coming form men from all different angles. not only one direction.

but thank you for calling it what it is. that... i appreciate. and glad your woman turns you on. thumbs up. lol

[awoke_in_2003]

71. Sometimes on message boards...

it is difficult to hear the intended "tone". Yes, I agree the entire thing is ridiculous, and the cop acted in an overarching way whether it was due to puritanical beliefs or the fact that she wasn't lilly white. I hope this woman is compensated for the pain and embarrassment she went through :hi:

[ooglymoogly]

100. That plus he needs prisoners to stock his private prisons.

that our taxes pay through the nose for.

[hay rick]

73. Make that PADDED bra.

What's the difference between being able to see her bra and being able to see her PADDED bra?

One cup size?

Would an unpadded bra have been OK?

So many questions, so little time.

[AtheistCrusader]

77. I think that information was included in the victim's favor.

It suggests the 'interest' in her appearance was completely egregious. You can't see through a padded bra even when wet, so it's not like someone might have complained that 'oh god you can actually see a nipple'.

A padded will be as opaque as a bikini, not a thin lacey thing.

This whole thing sounds pretty bullshit, and I hope she sues.

[Mariana]

89. Maybe to make it clear that no one could see her nipples?

Not that it's such a big fucking deal if they could.

[Bettie]

35. Amazing

Just f-ing amazing. I've seen women in bikini tops that barely cover anything and she was accosted because her bra showed under a t-shirt?

Clearly the "city employee" just doesn't have enough to keep busy and has to find things to get outraged about.

[blondeatlast]

36. Dear Florida Cop--you have to WAIT. I'm sure a bill similar to Arizona SB 1070 is coming soon,

you racist fuckwad.

[Iggo]

37. Yay, Cops!

They're the best!

[gulliver]

40. This could go viral against GOP anti-immigrant bias with a better picture.

She looks disheveled. In order to get the positive effect from the wet T-shirt angle of this anti-immigrant story, she should get a better picture out there ASAP. Ask Sarah Palin.

On edit: And, no, scolds. This is not sexist and I am not suggesting she actually put out a photo in a wet T-shirt. She should just get a decent picture of herself out there. I think this is an important story (if true), and it should have the same media MSG that Sarah Palin uses to sell her political junk food.

[Lorien]

46. It's not a great photo, but it's easy to tell that she's attractive nevertheless

I doubt that the cop would have approached her if she were unattractive. Just another authoritarian blaming a woman for his own thoughts.

[Moosepoop]

88. People tend to look disheveled in mug shots.

Not her fault that it's a bad pic, mug shots generally are. But I agree with you, she needs a better pic out there.

She apparently agrees too -- here's a slideshow of pics of her, some in the outfit she had on that day, and some in other clothing.

http://www.wftv.com/slideshow/news/24517138/detail.html

[RamboLiberal]

41. OMG - She's a Serial Wet T-shirt/Bra Offender

It's not clear why authorities were called, but park employees told police it was the third time in recent days that Lovett was asked to leave the park because of a wet T-shirt. The $500,000 attraction, which opened in August 2009, features water spouting from pretend animals, cattails and a "seaplane."

-----

Lubins said police asked for her name because they were called out to the park and told that she had been warned before about her attire.

"We would be remiss if we didn't take down her name," he said.

Marks, however, said he wondered if police wanted Lovett's name because they suspected the Peruvian native may be an illegal immigrant. Lovett, a nursing student, has lived in the United States for 15 years and is an American citizen, the attorney said.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-08-05/news/os-tavares-arrest-wet-t-shirt-20100805_1_wet-t-shirt-splash-park-chief-stoney-lubins

Must be some Christian Taliban parents at the park. Yep, wet t-shirts and boobs are a real threat to our kids! :sarcasm:

[NickB79]

45. Gee, imagine that. A mother gets a wet t-shirt every time she takes her son to a WATER PARK!

F-ing morons indeed. I hope they sue the park's owners and the local police agency into the ground.

[Uncle Joe]

43. I believe this kind of unjust, draconian stupidity is just a tiny taste of coming attractions

from Arizona Law.

Thanks for the thread, MrScorpio.

[lib2DaBone]

44. Next thing you know the Republicians will make women wear Burkas....

Oh wait.. why we are spending $436 million a day in Afghanistan?

[LanternWaste]

49. "Lovett, a Peruvian native..."

"Lovett, a Peruvian native..."

From where I sit, that is the Rosetta Stone.

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

51. She had a bra on? Pffft.

[Frisbee]

57. Explain to me again why I shouldn't despise cops?

Pigs is the perfect name for them.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

65. How 'bout because the vast majority of cops wouldn't have gotten involved

They don't write stories about what normally would have occured.

[Frisbee]

103. I have known a fair number of cops through the years...

In most cases, met through work, in others, friends who became cops or friends of friends who were cops. In nearly all cases, they became extreme assholes. Obsessed with their power over "civilians" and seemingly looking down on them. One guy I know, who just went through "the academy" within the last few months was explaining to a group of people at a gathering recently how things were so much better before the ACLU made it impossible to put a beat-down on someone who deserved it. And he's not even a cop yet, I can only imagine what he'll be like in a few years. They also seemed to be addicted to hitting on everything with two legs of the opposite sex, and didn't think twice about cheating on their spouses. No, I think a lot of good people decide to become cops, but the job seems to do something to most of them that turns them into assholes. There most certainly are exceptions, but they are the minority so far as I can tell.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

105. I've know a lot of firefighters....

....and for some reason they all hit on anything that moves and also act like assholes. Worse than the cops I've known (And yes, I've known a few asshole cops too).

But I figure it must be something about the ones I happen to know, or the dapartment they work for. I don't go around thinking that every firefighter acts that way.

It's funny, but the two biggest asshole cops I ever met brag about how they had never written a ticket in their life and how they always managed to avoid doing anything.

[Mariana]

90. Because most of them don't do shit like this.

They just stand by while their jackass colleagues are doing shit like this (or much, much worse), and help cover their jackass colleagues' asses afterward.

[WolverineDG]

60. arrested because she didn't tell them her name fast enough

W.T.F???? And what "justice" was she supposedly "obstructing?" :banghead:

dg

[awoke_in_2003]

61. Near the end it says...

"Absolutely no cleavage was showing". Cleavage is against the law? Better shut down the networks and start monitoring businesses because cleavage is everywhere.

[Dappleganger]

64. Well there you go--ACLU, please step up!!

Or somebody, we have to stop this shit in its tracks NOW.

[Ignis]

72. +1

[valerief]

67. Freakin' Florida. Freakin' STUPID BULLY COPS. nt

[EstimatedProphet]

69. This thread is useless without pictures. How is it no one has said that yet?

[seabeyond]

70. what makes you any different than the other men in this article. because she has boobs

it is your right to harrass.

why arent there more useless without picture bullshit?

she is playing with her son.

she got kicked out cause her shirt got wet
she got arrested for no reason

why the fuck should you get to reduce her to tits for your entertainment. she hasnt been harrassed enough because she has tits?

[EstimatedProphet]

81. I was making a point about how that line always comes up in any thread remotely similar

[seabeyond]

82. thank you for the clarification. appreciate. upthread... see the deleted

they played there.

[quakerboy]

93. To be fair, It seems much more likely she got harassed because of her skin tone

than her gender. One thing I noticed was that the article seems to specify that the arresting officer was a female. Which dosn't rule out gender being part of the reason for the arrest, but makes it seem slightly less likely to be the main motivating factor to me.

[Missy Vixen]

75. You first

I wonder how many guys have gotten arrested while leaving a water park because they were shirtless...

[Doctor_J]

80. I have been asked to please put my shirt on

my pot belly was causing all of the kids to stare & point.

[Doctor_J]

78. I agree

Why did it take this long for someone to request photos?

[seabeyond]

83. because it isnt appropriate. person with half a brain knows that. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

92. See #51. -nt

[mnhtnbb]

74. I hope she wins in court. What a bunch of a$$holes.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

79. And another stupid hiring will cost the taxpayers much needed funds.

Revamp the police forces from the top on down to quell the hiring of moronic sadists and install an attitude of 'protect and serve'.

Enough of the overtly authoritarian attitudes.

[svpadgham]

84. She should show up in a Brazilian style bikini.

It's a swimsuit so it'd be far more appropriate.

[Orsino]

85. Resisting arrest by not giving one's name?

Methinks the cop did not watch enough TV as a kid.

[struggle4progress]

86. They're kinda uptight in Tavares, I guess: I had friends forty years ago who wore

bright fluorescent bras under gauzy blouses in the most ordinary public venues in a conservative Southern city. It was a scream but wasn't against the law

[MilesColtrane]

87. She was probably arrested for not being obsequious.

Many cops' sole goal in interacting with a person is to obtain a clear display of submission from them.

Question an order, or simply don't respond fast enough (as this woman apparently did) to one of these cops and he will begin to escalate with threats of arrest or force.

Their goal is to see you roll over exposing your belly like a submissive dog.

They get off on it.

[gaiangreentree]

104. those jerks

"Legally, under the constitution of the state of Florida and the U.S., it is our position that Mrs. Lovett did not have to provide any identification information, but she never refused to do so,"

so... her CRIME of "suspicion of obstructing justice and resisting arrest" was simply that she remained silent instead of STATING her perfectly legal refusal...

Whether it was also ostensibly completely sexist or racist... your comment is perfect on target.

[Odin2005]

94. Swimming While Hispanic.

FUCKING DISGUTING!

[GETPLANING]

95. I hope she puts them the fuck out of business

WTF is this country coming to?

[depakid]

96. Americans and their fear of and obsession with breasts

what a pathetic culture.

[backscatter712]

97. The boobies were just the lame excuse.

The subhuman pigs just used that excuse to bust her because she was brown and spoke with a Spanish accent.

Fucking pigs. I hope they die in the line of duty...

[seabeyond]

98. ohhhh, you go to far. very offensive. nt

[ooglymoogly]

101. Why wasn't the cop arrested for indecent exposure

of an obscenely prurient and brainless cavity.

[JDPriestly]

102. Goood for her.