COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — People who come to the federal courthouse in this northern Idaho city will have a private room should they need to remove undergarments such as underwire bras that could set off metal detectors.
The addition of the changing room comes after a Bonners Ferry woman complained earlier this week that she was forced to take off her bra in public before she was allowed to go inside.
Lori Plato had said she was “embarrassed and humiliated” by her treatment.
The U.S. Marshals Service, which oversees security at the federal building, maintains its officers followed “appropriate security protocols” and Plato was given “a number of options” by the court security officers that would have ensured her privacy. They say they suggested Plato go to her car or a restaurant and remove the bra there.
But Plato said she was parked on a busy street, and wasn’t familiar with downtown Coeur d’Alene. Instead, her husband held up his coat to shield her from the rest of the people in the courthouse lobby while Plato removed her bra underneath her shirt.
U.S. Marshal Patrick McDonald in Boise said his agency added the changing room to avoid any further issues.
“We don’t want anyone to be embarrassed when they come to the courthouse,” McDonald told the Coeur d’Alene Press on Thursday. “We were made aware of a problem that we didn’t know we had. We’ve fixed it the best we can.”
Court security will provide women with black plastic sacks in which to place items before they’re scanned by detectors.
“That way nobody can see what’s inside and be embarrassed,” McDonald said. “We didn’t do these things just for Mrs. Plato, but for everybody.”
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