A woman in Tennessee was left embarrassed after she was told to leave her apartment building's pool due to her "inappropriate" swimsuit...which was a one-piece. Tori Jenkins was at the pool in a pink swimsuit when she was approached by two leasing consultants who told her what she was wearing wasn't appropriate.
Tyler Newman, Jenkins' then-fiancee, wrote about the ordeal on Facebook.
"Today, my fiancé was faced with either changing her bathing suit, covering up with shorts or leaving the pool that we paid a $300 fee to maintain," he wrote. "Tori was accused of wearing a 'thong bathing suit' and told there were complaints about the way she was dressed. She was told by the leasing consultant that her body, because it's built more curvy than others, is 'too inappropriate' for children to be around."
Tori spoke with Buzzfeed News as well, saying one of the consultants told her that she "wasn't right" to be in public like that.
"She tried to convince me a few times to let her take pictures of my butt to show how "˜inappropriate' it was," Tori said. "[She] told me that if I didn't have kids I wouldn't understand how it wasn't right to be out in public in that, and that she wouldn't want her own kids around me."
According to Tori, the consultant also told Tori that her outfit would "excite" too many teenage boys who live in the complex, which Tori said was "really violating and degrading."
"I was point-blank told that my comfortability at a pool that I paid to use was less important than a teenage boy being able to control himself," she told BuzzFeed News. "It perpetuates the idea that how a man feels around a woman is more important than how a woman feels around herself."
Thinking she would be met with support after sharing her story, Tori was wrong. Unfortunately, she received many negative comments about the way she looked, the suit she was wearing, and her choice to show up to the pool in that suit. She took the chance to clarify a lot of the things she was hearing about herself in a Facebook post.
I'd just like to say on my own behalf that I'm really amazed by all of the overwhelming support I've received. Thank you all, you really don't know how much it means to me. It hasn't even been that long since it happened but I can tell you that I've felt really shitty about myself since.
Being distracted by friends and work and your wonderful comments have made this process a whole lot easier. But I just can't help but read all of the negative stuff as well and there's a few things I'd like to clear up as well
1. I'm a size medium. The swimsuit is a size medium. I tried on the large in the store and felt little confidence that my boobs wouldn't show after being hit with one good splash.
2. The pool rules state only that "Duly appropriate attire must be worn at all times, no cut offs"
3. The suit may look small but that's also after I binge cried and ate pizza. When you feel that shitty about yourself do you really think the first pose that comes to mind is happy? That I wanna have good posture and look skinny? I didn't care. And frankly I still don't care if I looked "too big" for the suit. Look at the body language: my shoulders are down, arms crossed, and so on. There's only a "pinch an inch" situation on one side, because I'm slouching.
4. There WAS a front facing picture. I took it down after reading so many hateful comments about my stomach and so many intensely explicit sexual comments. That is the whole issue. I will not be reposting it because that isn't the area of my body in question. I left the back view up even after the same comments are made on that picture.
5. The ENTIRE POINT of this post is that no man or woman has the right to make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin. No right to police me or any other human.
I hope this clears things up for some of you. I may add to this post as time goes on but for now I'm tired, and frankly a bit beaten down. Those of you who know me know I don't react to things much but this situation has really gotten to me.
Again, thank you so much to my fiancé, family, friends, and all of the people who were kind enough to share supportive words with me. I'm sorry if I don't reply to everyone but I'm trying to stay off of my phone more.
The story went incredibly viral, prompting the apartment complex to release their own statement on the issue.
Smoky Crossing is a welcoming family community. Multiple residents within our community complained and expressed concerns regarding Ms. Jenkins' swimwear.In accordance with our pool policies, which are posted near the swimming area, one of our leasing consultants requested Ms. Jenkins wrap a towel around herself when she was walking around the pool.
Ms. Jenkins was never asked to leave the pool. In addition, our leasing agent did not state that Ms. Jenkins swimwear would "˜excite teenage boys.' Ms. Jenkins and Mr. Newman are valued members of our community.
However, we feel it is inappropriate to equate requesting Ms. Jenkins to cover up with sexual harassment or "˜rape culture.' Smoky Crossing denounces harassment in all forms.
Both Tori and Tyler denied the complex's comment that no one mentioned teenage boys when speaking to Tori.
After Tori wrote her post clarifying the situation, she received an outpouring of support.
"Those people are wrong for doing that to you tori," Jesse Riddle wrote.
"Nothing wrong with your suit," Jen Bois said. "Most bathing suits don't fit everyone perfectly. Even though I wear a small I still end up showing the same amount you do because bathing suits are made that way. Everybody's suit rides up."
"You are so beautiful there nothing wrong with your outfit you going to the pool not the store keep your chin up people going to talk they don't have anything to do," Ruth Anne Perry encouraged.
At the time, Tori and Tyler said they were "exploring other options" for living arrangements, as they didn't feel comfortable living in a complex which held those values.
