Woman says she got an ‘indecent exposure’ ticket for wearing a crop top and shorts

‘What in the middle school dress code is this???’

A woman claimed she got a ticket for “indecent exposure” while wearing a crop top and shorts in a viral TikTok this week and people are encouraging her to wear the same outfit to court.

In the video, the woman Casey -- who goes by @kazzi112 on TikTok -- explained how she got ticketed at an event in Winnfield, Louisiana, for wearing a black short-sleeve crop top and pair of denim shorts.

“You see my outfit,” she said, as she stood in front of the camera and walked in a circle. “I got a f***ing ticket for indecent exposure in Winnfield, Louisiana…All of my bits are covered.”

She noted that while in attendance at what was supposed to be considered a family event, “alcohol was being handed out for free”. She then went into detail about how she was given the ticket.

“Three female cops came up to me and gave me a f***ing ticket,” Casey said. “I live a mile down the road, they literally could have just been like, ‘Hey ma’am, can you put some clothes on?,’ and I would have been like, ‘Yeah, cool. I’ll be right back.’”

“But they stood there and gave me a f***ing ticket’ for indecent exposure, are you kidding me?,” she added.

Casey emphasised in the video’s caption that she didn’t understand why she got ticketed, writing: ‘MAKE IT MAKE SENSE.”

As of 16 June, the video has more than 2.7m views, with TikTok users in the comments encouraging her not to pay the ticket and noting how her outfit was not an issue, given the warm weather in Louisiana.

“Don’t pay it. Go to court and have the outfit on,” one wrote.

“It’s Louisiana, it gets hot and muggy, what else are you supposed to wear,” another said.

A third viewer added: “Those cops were just jealous… smh. I think you look beautiful.”

In response, Casey expressed in the comments how uncomfortable she was when she got the ticket and how it took her “a lot” to wear the outfit in the first place, since it was outside of her comfort zone.

“The worst part is that I NEVER show this much skin,” she wrote. “It took a lot for me to leave the house like this. I was so embarrassed during the citation.”

Some viewers recommended other ways for Casey to take action, one of which said: “File a complaint and keep records of harassing behaviours.”

Casey also clarified in the comments that she was “sitting on a lower step, legs together,” when she got the citation, and [her] “husband sat behind” her, so she “wasn’t flashing anyone”.

According to Louisiana State Law, regarding “sexual misconduct; indecent viewing, visual recording, or broadcasting,” any person who “intentionally exposes, in an indecent manner, the genitalia, anus, buttocks, or female areola or nipple is guilty of indecent exposure and shall be punished as a court-martial may direct”.

In a follow-up video, Casey explained that when she wore her crop top and shorts, she was at a festival in her “small town,” where the “humidity was over 80 per cent”.

She recalled that while she was “sitting on a curb” with her family, she was approached by three female cops who asked to speak to her.

Casey said that when she got up, the cop told her she was giving her a citation for indecent exposure, due to her outfit. She went on to note that when explained how lived nearby and could change clothes, the cop said: “No we’re going to give you a citation.”

“So I start asking questions,” Casey continued. “Why am I being cited? All of my bits are covered. Every part of me is covered. I’ve seen teenagers walking around in less [clothing], just five minutes ago.”

She claimed that the cops were “rude” to her, in response, and then when her ex-husband and current husband tried to get involved, the officers told them to “shut up and stay out of it”.

After getting her citation, Casey emphasised how “embarrassed” she felt, as she didn’t publicly wear crop tops and shorts often.

“Anybody who actually knows me knows that I have actually never worn anything like that in public,” she explained. “I’m usually the one that covers everything... But I was like, ‘I feel nice in this,’ so I decided to wear it. And the first day I wear something revealing, I get cited for it.”

Casey acknowledged how indecent exposure in Louisiana is a felony offence, so she’s in the midst of looking for representation to fight the citation, before noting how she “wants justice” and to “be heard”.

In a Facebook post that appears to be a response to Casey’s video, the Winnfield Police Department said that “recent posts to social media have had a negative impact on the service of our police officers during” the city’s  sixth annual Dugdemona Festival.

Although the account didn’t mention Casey by name, it mentioned that the police department received “various complaints about the person’s attire”. The department also referred to a city ordinance, which stated that it is unlawful for a person to wear clothes that “intentionally exposes undergarments or intentionally exposes any portion of the pubic hair, cleft of buttocks, or genitals”,

In conclusion, the post noted that a citation is “an allegation of an infraction, not an assumption of guilt,” before sharing a statement from the department’s spokesperson about not getting involved in social media posts.

“We, as public servants, will not engage in a social media war with any one or any organisation, as it is improper and brings discredit upon this department. We also cannot comment on details of any case under investigation or pending court action,” the statement reads.