Ines Sainz Decides To Steer Clear Of Locker Rooms

Ines Sainz, the sideline reporter who was allegedly harassed by the New York Jets says she won’t be reporting from locker rooms anymore. But will that solve the problem?

According to the AP, Sainz told a news conference yesterday, “I’m not going into the locker rooms anymore. It’s not a good place right now for me. I don’t want to be in there.” The decision makes a certain amount of sense — some of the harassment Sainz suffered did occur while she was waiting to interview a player in the locker room. And she’s clearly upset with some of the fallout from this harassment, most notably allegations that she was somehow “asking for it” because of the way she dressed. Sainz says, “If I dressed properly or not, I have nine years of my career making interviews with top players all around the world and I can’t believe that someone says my outfit is not proper. It’s unfair treatment.” Given that she now has to defend herself like that, it’s not surprising that she wants to avoid situations where her harassment could be repeated.

However, Sainz was also allegedly subject to inappropriate behavior when she was just standing on the sidelines, and just avoiding locker rooms may not necessarily protect her from future harassment. Even if it does, it’s a little sad, reinforcing the notion that women need to stay away from certain spaces if they want to be safe. These spaces typically include frat parties, nighttime streets, and of course the homes of men — enter any one of these, the implication often goes, and everything from there on out is your fault. Sainz should do whatever she needs to do to feel comfortable, but it’s sad that the upshot of her whole ordeal is another limitation on where a woman can go.

Mexican TV Reporter Wants Out Of Locker Rooms [AP, via Yahoo! News]

Earlier: Classy Jets Players Accused Of Harassing Female Sideline Reporter
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