OCEAN CITY — Less than a week after a local woman filed suit in U.S. District Court challenging Ocean City’s ordinance prohibiting women to go topless in the same public areas where men go shirtless, resort officials this week announced they were prepared to go to battle over the issue.
Last June, amid a backlash from concerned residents and visitors over the potential for Ocean City to allow women to go topless on its beaches and Boardwalk, for example, the Mayor and Council passed an emergency ordinance prohibiting the practice. The ordinance was passed in response to a request from local resident Chelsea Eline seeking clarification from the town, the Worcester County State’s Attorney’s Office and ultimately the Maryland Attorney General on the legality of female bare-chestedness in the same areas in which men can be shirtless.
On Jan. 16, Eline and four other named plaintiffs, through noted civil rights attorney Devon Jacob, filed suit in U.S. District Court, challenging the emergency ordinance passed by the Mayor and Council last June. The suit came as no surprise after Eline, then known as Chelsea Covington, retained Jacobs’ service after the town’s ordinance was passed early last summer.
This week, however, Mayor Rick Meehan said in a statement the town was prepared to defend the challenge to its ordinance filed in federal court and would take any legal steps necessary to prevent its beaches and other public areas from becoming acceptable topless areas for females, evoking the town’s oft-repeated family resort image.
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13 comments:
Less is more . . . fun!
There was a time when...
- Men had to wear shirts on the boardwalk
- You could smoke a cigarette on the beach
- No form of gambling would ever come to this area
- Marijuana was illegal.
The change is inevitable. OC should just let it happen.
The world ain't gonna end if a few woman want to get an all-over tan.
Save a lot of time and money and let the lady win her case.
Why wait?
Let's see. A food truck with topless saleswomen. Hmmm.
Boobs bad - drugs and thugs ok = family resort.
I'm a red blooded Alpha male and I love a nice set of hooters but OC ain't the place for it.
9:08:
I really think that today's people - for the most part - can handle the fact that a woman is laying on the beach tanning without a top on.
The novelty of watching a number of random woman (a very few number, most likely) walking into the surf to swim topless will eventually wear off.
Sure, there will be the giggly, testosterone-filled idiots that won't be able to handle it, but they will be in the minority eventually.
I agree that it is inevitable - and not quite as big a deal as some people are making this out to be.
Pass the ordinance and be done with it.
Their focus remains on unimportant items. Keeps spending our hard tax dollars on the ridiculous RICKY!!!!!
Topless is a Must !!! like South beach !!!!
Party poopers on DelMarVa !!! Stick in the Muds !!!
It is a Party Town now and has been along time / NOT a
Family Town > Bull Get over it this is not the 50's !!
Hell the city even hauls Drunks around all night along
with party crowds on the city buses ....some Family Town !!
Family went out the window Along Time ago , it is Atlantic
City Md now and from now on !!!!!!!!!!
Casinos next , already one down the street Race Track Rd !
Works in Miami = Works here !!! LOL
They pull em out on the buses from time to time !!!
Party Buses haul the drunks all night , packed like
sardines !!!
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