A popular blogger and publisher has accused a TSA agent of criticizing his 15-year old daughter for having clothing the agent said was too revealing.
On Sunday June 16, Mark Frauenfelder, co-founder of the Boing Boing blog, posted that a TSA agent at LAX had "shamed" his daughter, Sarina, for the outfit she wore that day while traveling.
Based on text messages he received from his daughter, Frauenfelder posted that "she was at the station where the TSA checks IDs. She said the officer was "glaring" at her and mumbling. She said, 'Excuse me?' and he said, 'You're only 15, COVER YOURSELF!' in a hostile tone. She said she was shaken up by his abusive manner.”
"It's the TSA's job to ensure the safety of passengers," Frauenfelder told NBC News. "It is not to judge teenage girls on the kind of clothes they’re wearing and make them feel shameful.”
Sarina says she would like an apology from the TSA. “If a guy was wearing that they wouldn't be in trouble,” she told NBC News. "I don't think men should treat women like that."
"We regret that this passenger had an unpleasant experience and are in the process of thoroughly reviewing the circumstances," TSA spokesman David Castelveter told NBC News.
"TSA officers are trained and expected to perform screening methods in a dignified and respectful manner at all times. We work to make our screening procedures as minimally invasive as possible while providing the highest level of security for the traveling public," said Castelveter.
Follow Dana McMahan, food, travel, and fitness writer: @danamac.