KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- An East Tennessee woman claimed she was asked to leave her apartment pool because of her body type and choice of swimsuit. Tori Jenkins said she was at her apartment complex's swimming pool with her fiancé, when she was told her swimsuit was inappropriate.
"She basically told me that if I didn't have kids, I wouldn't understand," Jenkins said. "If her kids were at the pool she wouldn't want me in that swimsuit, how inappropriate I looked."
Jenkins was given the options of either changing her swimsuit, putting on shorts, or leaving the pool.
"Tori was accused of wearing a thong bathing suit and told there were complaints about the way she dressed after roughly three minutes tops of us arriving there," her fiancé Tyler Newman wrote on Facebook.
The couple went to the leasing office to talk to an employee in private about the situation. Newman said an employee suggested taking photos of Jenkins in order for her to understand why some people would not want their children around her.
"She was told that her body because it's built more curvy than others, is too inappropriate for children to be around," Newman. said. "She was told there are a lot of teenage boys in this complex, and you don't need to excite them."
Newman said he believed the situation showed how rape culture continued to grow. He said he felt the employee was blaming Jenkins for the potential actions of others.
"Today, my fiancée was told that she is less important than how men feel around her," Newman said. "I think she's the most beautiful woman in the world, but I also respect her. I would never make her or any other woman feel less than what she?s worth because of her outfit or her looks."
Jenkins called the situation humiliating.
"It was just really degrading over all," said Jenkins. "I left crying and just went home."
The apartment complex released the following statement:
Smoky Crossing is a welcoming family community. Multiple residents within our community complained and expressed concerns regarding Ms. Jenks' swimwear. In accordance with our pool policies, which are posted near the swimming area, one of our leasing consultants requested Ms. Jenks 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.
