Ines Sainz - victim or attention seeker?

Paul in Cannon Beach

You may have heard about the recent "scandal" involving a female reporter in the NY Jets locker room who allegedly was made to feel uncomfortable by comments and catcalls from the players.

What has some people upset is that Sainz is the self-described "hottest sports reporter in Mexico" and wears ultra-tight, revealing clothing on the job.

See below:

[IMG]http://www.myavidgolfer.com/resources/ines-sainz3.jpg[/IMG]


So the question has been raised? Does a professional woman have any responsibility for her appearance and type of dress? Is it unreasonable to expect that a woman who dresses this way is going to attract a certain kind of attenion?

Personally, I think Miss Sainz is getting exactly what she wants: attention. Unfortunately it comes at the expense of everyone who has a legitimate sexual harassment situation.

John Phillips TN

Here's a post I did on Ms. Sainz from an employment law perspective.

[url]http://www.wordonemploymentlaw.com/2010/09/provocative-dress-sex-harassment-and-the-great-gender-divide/[/url]

cnghr

I tend to agree, Paul. When I saw her on the Today show and she was arguing that, when she was being harassed in the locker room she wasn't wearing anything provocative, just jeans and a white button-down shirt, I thought, okay, she's right, that isn't provocative....if any of the women I work with were wearing jeans and a button-down it would be perfectly acceptable casual day attire. Then I saw pictures of the outfit itself: the jeans appeared to be painted on, and the shirt, while it was unquestionably a button-down, was UN-buttoned down to her bra and was also very tight. And while her outfit in the pictures you included in your post do say "professional" to me, the profession it makes me think of is [U]not[/U] sports reporter.

FunHRBanker

I agree that she appears to be attention seeking (and receiving). However, these ADULT men should be able to control their comments during work time; and interviews in the locker room would be considered work time.

Pam Oliver would never have ventured in a locker room in that outfit. Someone needs to have a conversation with Ms. Sainz about appropriate business attire.

Paul in Cannon Beach

I think Ms. Sainz knows EXACTLY what she is doing. You don't put on pants like that on accident. I am not even sure how you put them on.

Also, should the location of the alleged harassment be considered? It wasn't the Jets front office. It was the MENS LOCKER ROOM for crying out loud.

NaeNae55

Paul: Are you saying location makes a difference on whether or not is ok to be sexually harrassed?

I think if someone puts themselves out there as 'hot' they can expect to be treated that way. Whether or not it crosses the line is subjective. I haven't heard any details or her response, so I am not in a position to judge. However, if the men in the locker room were expecting company, I don't think the location makes any difference.

Paul in Cannon Beach

Yes, I think to some degree, location and circumstances should be considered when evaluating behavior.

A professional "exotic dancer", for example, can't complain that her customers are leering at her.

I am not saying that the football players were right to shout out catcalls and hoot but I think Ms. Sainz is disengenous when she dresses in a provocative manner and then cries foul when she provokes attention.

NaeNae55

[QUOTE=Paul in Cannon Beach;720745]Yes, I think to some degree, location and circumstances should be considered when evaluating behavior.

A professional "exotic dancer", for example, can't complain that her customers are leering at her.

I am not saying that the football players were right to shout out catcalls and hoot but I think Ms. Sainz is disengenous when she dresses in a provocative manner and then cries foul when she provokes attention.[/QUOTE]

I don't disagree with your last statement as far as provocatively dressing and then being unhappy with the attention, but the location is irrelevant. An exotic dancer entertains, and leering is part of the deal. However, when she is being interviewed by a reporter the reporter should remain professional. A football player entertains, and like the dancer, part of his success depends on how much attention he gets. Reporters help that process, and that is why owners agree to let reporters in the locker room. If a female reporter came in and leered at them they could report her to her publisher. They deserve respect in the locker room from those who are visitors, and visitors should be respected too. Especially when they are invited.

She does dress provocatively in some of the pictures I have seen, but that doesn't give the players the right to harrass her just because they are in the locker room. The location, in this instance, doesn't make any difference.

On another point, I understood that it was others who were complaining of the harrassment, not Sainz. If so, I don't think you can call her disengenous.