The Associated Press
RICHMOND — A college student who says she was kicked out of a Central Kentucky mall for wearing a short dress has filed suit over comments posted about her on a newspaper’s Web site.
Kymberly Clem claims she was escorted by security from the Richmond Mall on Aug. 9 over a dispute about the dress she was wearing. The 20-year-old is an Eastern Kentucky University student.
Clem’s attorney says an anonymous posting four days later alleged that Clem had exposed herself to a woman and two children. The comment was posted on a forum on the Richmond Register newspaper’s Web site.
Attorney Wesley Browne says the comment was “false” and “malicious.”
The newspaper erased the comment, and the poster, known as “12bme,” was banned. The paper reported the lawsuit Tuesday.
Browne filed suit Monday against the unknown person, seeking unspecified damages.
Browne said Wednesday his client does not intend to sue the newspaper, and he said any action against the mall would be a separate matter.
He said the comment was posted on a newspaper forum owned by Groupee Inc. of Seattle. Browne said it’s not yet clear whether he’ll have to obtain the poster’s identity from the newspaper or through Groupee.
Register Editor Jim Todd said the comment and references to it were removed because they violated the Web site’s terms of service, to which all participants must agree.
Browne has subpoenaed Register Assistant Editor Lorie Love to give a deposition in connection with the suit. She is responsible for posting news stories to the newspaper’s Web site.
Vicki Strunk, manager of Richmond Mall, did not return a call seeking comment Wednesday.
View WKYT-TV’s report here and video here:
Sounds like the girl is totally looking to be paid and media exposure! If she knew how to dress some poster’s words wouldn’t even be an issue! She needs to give us a break and put some clothes on! And stop making Kentucky look bad!
I totally agree w/ George, if this chick could tell the difference between a shirt and a dress, none of this would be an issue. People who HAVE to show off thier “assets” that much have an over-active desire to be looked at. I was a stripper and have enough modesty and common decency to not dress like that in public where children are likely present.
Just how short was this dress? Short short dresses have been the fashon off and on for decades. Depending on how much she was “showing” I think this sounds like an over-reaction.
Oh noes! Someone said something mean about me on the internet! I’ll sue
/1st amendment
frankly it sounds like the girl is looking for a quick trip to easy money.
She needs to ask herself (how was I hurt or injured by this posting) and if she was not, then forget it. If she can honestly say she has never made a mistake if then sue, however if she has made a mistake then accept an apogoly and get over herself.
In the big picture of things this entire ordeal is not that important.
Have you seen a picture of this girl? not only should they not kick her out of the mall for wearing revealing clothing, they should encourage it. and post her phone number instead
She shouldn’t have been thrown out of the mall for what she was wearing. This is a free country after all. It wasn’t like she was running around naked. I think she has every right to sue the mall. Girls younger than her wear short, skimpy clothes as well in public and no ove has thrown them out of public places.
I saw the TV news coverage of this incident along with print media coverage. Frankly, I saw nothing at all wrong with what this young lady was wearing. She is very pretty, is a college student and the dress in question is probably something she wears frequently. If she had been black and was thrown out of a mall she could have been naked and the amount of clothing she was or was not wearing would have suddenly become irrelevant.
I do not know Kymberly Clem; however, I’m confident that her intent was to not gain media attention in this manner. However, once someone is wronged in a very public way the community needs to know what happened and this wrong needs to be corrected. I hope this situation is resolved soon and she can become a normal college student once again.
She’s suing because someone lied about her and something she did. Someone being “mean”, as some of you put it, would be simple juvenile name-calling. Two totally different things. If someone falsely accused me of exposing myself to a mother and two kids at a mall in a public forum, I’d have done the same thing. It would be more about protecting a reputation than anything else.
It’s not like the dress was that short in the first place. It sounded more to me like the security guard was just bored.
The girl is Hot! Hotter than a $2 pistol! I like the dress…she looks like she obiviously has taste. If I was to have seen her walking in the mall with that dress on…I wouldn’t have thrown her out…I’d been working on grabbing the digits! Be honest, If the majority of you who are bashing this hotty actually had the body or the nerve to dress like she did then I’m sure you would. Get a life and leave this little girl alone. What’s the difference in her wearing that mini-dress in public and a hot chick wearing a bikini top and shorts at a NASCAR race? It’s expected! Now THAT would be a crime if I went to a race and didn’t see that!
I THINK THERE IS A LOT STUFF TO BE NEWS WORTHY,THAN A SHORT DRESS!!GET REAL !
As Andy Warhol said - everyone gets 15 minutes of fame. Hers is about over…….
George says the student is “…making Kentucky look bad!”.
The only thing making Kentucky look bad is the poor judgement used by mall personnel in asking the student to leave based on her clothing.
No laws were being broken. She should be free to wear anything she wants within reason. This dress was certainly within reason.
First of all, the girl is pretty and a college student. I see nothing wrong with her dress. I do hear a bunch of old “talk behind your back” chruch members that are mad because they can’t get her or look like her.
I think they soulhd file suit against the mall, because it is her business how short she wants her dress. If you dont like how she dresses or looks, that is your problems.
If she had been black, the governor would had someone from Frankfort there to protect the girls rights. Being White, Young and pretty has become something that many wish they had. I wish I had a girlfriend that pretty. Yes, people will look, but she has rights too, despite what our government is starting to show that we are loosing more and more rights since Bush went glory hunting.
To the Ms. clem’s, wear what you want, don’t let anyone tell you what to wear. I had a professor tell me one time that my speech was like a mini-skirt, it is long enough to cover everything but short enough to make it real interesting. You have my support.
Ted
she said “descwimination” hahahahah she sounds like elmer fudd.
Did everyone catch that she bought the dress AT RICHMOND MALL? Richmond Mall will be a ghost town when Richmond Centre opens this fall. I would think they would not want to start running people off right now.
If someone accused me of indecent exposure to children I’d be pretty mad. Mad enough to sue and then some.
One or two posters here need to take a minute and think. If you were accused, on the internet or anywhere else, of exposing yourself to children, would you really shrug it off the way you’re making fun of her for not doing?
I seriously, seriously doubt it.
Attention Whore. pure and simple
I think it’s a shame that the security guard was so into her, that he had to ask her to leave!! The news said that women’s husbands were looking at her, well then those women need to dress up a little more for them!! I dress up for my husband, believe me he’s a happy man. Most men look so get a grip….lol!!!
Look all you want just don’t touch! This is a free world right! If I was still young, I’d show it off too1 Get a grip America NOW!!!!! WHAT’S THE CONSTITOUSTION for right’s the prusit of justice. what happened to freedom don’t like oh well don’t goggle!
Whole thing is pretty silly to me. Comment made about the girl exposing herself would be slander, and that is no “new interpretation” to the 1st amendment. I’d wager most people mouthing off about that in this forum have never read the constitution.
However… trying to get the identity of the poster will be tough and proving it in court.
TO RYAN ,
WHAT DOSE COLOR HAVE 2 DO WITH IT?
PLEASE GET A LIFE AND LEAVE COLOR OUT OF THIS.
THIS IS NOT A BLACK OR A WHITE THING.