Four Stars for Kendra

On her first day as justice reporter for the Standard-Examiner, Morgan Briesmaster wore a sleeveless blouse to the courthouse in Ogden on June 3. A bailiff in Ogden’s Second District Court was concerned the inexperienced reporter might be violating the court’s dress code, and suggested she cover up. “That morning, I checked at 8 o’clock and noticed that it was 88 degrees,” was the reporter’s response. In other words, she felt a warm spring morning justifies throwing professionalism out the window. If the hundreds of texts and tweets in response to her story are any indication, many people agree with her. Several complained that asking her to bare a little less skin was sexist and promoted rape culture. And maybe they’re right. But I’ll bet none of the men in that courthouse were sporting naked arms or shoulders, regardless of the temperature outside. And I’ll bet if they had, a judge would have tossed them out.