Focus is on photographer with an eye for cheerleaders

Omaha.com ^ | 02.06.03

[Coleus]

Focus is on photographer with an eye for cheerleaders

BY STU POSPISIL

LINCOLN - Metro Conference athletic directors and the Nebraska School Activities Association will be watching their high school basketball sidelines more closely after Omaha police detained a 74-year-old man for training a camera on high school cheerleaders.

Omaha Marian Athletic Director Jim Miller said Wednesday that cheerleaders from his school became uncomfortable because of the man's apparent picture-taking at a Jan. 30 girls basketball game at Omaha South.

Miller said the girls alerted Marian's dean of students, who told South administrators. School officials called police, who interviewed the man. The man told authorities that he was a fan of Omaha Marian and Omaha Creighton Prep and was just there to observe the game.

Sgt. Dan Cisar said police took an information report, and the man was ordered to leave the building.

The girls later told Miller they had seen the man at other games.

The man could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

School officials have expressed concerns to the NSAA that if photographs of cheerleaders were taken, they could end up being sold to a Web site that contains pornographic or offensive material.

Copies of a photograph of the man, taken from South's video security monitoring system, were distributed this week at the Metro Conference's monthly meeting of athletic directors.

The man's photo also was sent to the NSAA because of its state basketball tournaments at various sites in Lincoln next month. The girls state tournament is March 6 through 8, and the boys tournament is March 13 through 15.

NSAA Assistant Director Jim Angele said copies of the photo have been forwarded to floor managers at the tournament sites in Lincoln.

"We hope this person won't show up at the state tournament," Angele said. "We'll have to police our sidelines more to make sure only those with credentials are there."

The NSAA does not have a uniform policy regarding the management of spectators at sporting events, other than to ask for good sportsmanship. The obligation to police spectators is left up to individual schools. That means school administrators can decide whether to prohibit admission to a particular spectator. It is common at events such as high school basketball games to see numerous school staff in attendance for the sole purpose of monitoring the crowd.

Miller said amateur photographers, such as family members, may be asked to provide identification if not recognized by officials of the host school.

"We're telling our workers that if they don't know somebody taking photographs, they may want to check it out," Miller said. "It's not a good situation for someone to be going to games and taking photos of cheerleaders only. It sends up a red flag."

[ALS]

[Tax Government]

I hope and pray he gets arrested, then sues the living crap out of the school district.

[Tax Government]

If the good people of Lincoln considered his behavior disruptive then they have every right to escort him to the door.

I don't think anybody has the right to vote on whether another person has civil rights. As I posted before, I hope the man is arrested and then sues the living crap out of the school and state where the arrest occurs.

[Cultural Jihad]

Um, he was not arrested, and he was escorted off of private property. Are you saying that trespassers now have rights to be where they are not welcomed or wanted?

[budwiesest]

Oh, this is easy. If he's sitting in the stands taking pics when the girls go 'can-can', then he's harmless.

If he's lying on his back on the gym floor claiming he's only there to solve the mystery surrounding 'kilt-wearers', then show him the door by all means.

[Tax Government]

If it's a private event, he's there at the owner's pleasure.

There may be a grey area in the case of events on private property that are open to the general public.

If it is truly public event, or an event funded by the government, then I think he has a case.

[Cultural Jihad]

LOL! Please feel free to prove that the Jesuits are receiving Federal funds and therefore any tax-paying pervert should be permitted to trespass and harass.

[Mo1]

Oh, this is easy. If he's sitting in the stands taking pics when the girls go 'can-can', then he's harmless.
If he's lying on his back on the gym floor claiming he's only there to solve the mystery surrounding 'kilt-wearers', then show him the door by all means.

Yep, which leads me to think there is more to this story then what is reported in this article

[Cultural Jihad]

... then I think he has a case.

I would be curious to hear what the average fee is which you charge for legal advice in Nebraska, and exactly how many clients you might have there.

[Tax Government]

Anybody can file a lawsuit. Juries are unpredictable.

This looks like a large civil lawsuit, waiting to happen.

[Cultural Jihad]

Perhaps so, but it might end up being the private school who is the plaintiff if the individual persists.

[Tax Government]

I am not a laywer. But I recognize a hasty action, allegedly to 'protect' one class of individuals, can quickly be turned around. In this case an old man, photographing as many people might, the participants at a game (whether cheerleaders/songleaders or players), is being publicly humiliated by the suggestion what he did was improper.

Large lawsuits have been filed for less.

[Cultural Jihad]

There was no suggestion needed. As owners of private property, the school is free to decide who gets to stay and who gets shown the door.

[Tax Government]

Uh, tell it to the jury. :)

[CWOJackson]

We're loathed by the loathsome? Oh my...

[Lancey Howard]

re: your post #10

What you said. Excellent.

BUMP!!

[EGPWS]

This looks like a large civil lawsuit, waiting to happen.

Expect to see cheerleaders in "bib overalls" and "slickers" after that law suite.

[Cultural Jihad]

Apparently I was wrong on the location of the incident, which someone pointed out to me. While the schools mentioned are indeed private Catholic schools, the incident happened at a public school. My feeling is that even a public school can make the kinds of decisions on who is admitted and who is asked to leave, based upon complaints of bizarre or irrational or disturbing or harassing behavior. Disturbing the peace is still a misdemeanor, or an evictable offence, and like it or not, in the realm of human experience, whenever the vast majority of people feel really strongly about something, its infraction amounts to a disturbance.

[Lancey Howard]

I'm not really in favor of singling someone out because of age and gender, reading his mind, and turning him over to the thought police for punishment without due process. Call me crazy.

Nah you ain't crazy - - you are a freedom-loving patriot, like me.

If I was the father of one of those cheerleaders and I kept seeing some old creep showing up and taking pictures I would escort the guy to the door and tell him that if I ever laid eyes on him again I would smash his dentures down his throat. But I sure wouldn't call "the authorities", LOFL!!
Freedom! Gotta love it, gotta live it!

[jejones]

What's your opinion on the Target/Sears/Penney's/Kohls/etc. Sunday paper inserts? Lots of color photos of underage models there, including lingerie and, in season, swimsuits, and I bet there's someone out there who collects them.