Richmond Airport Stripper Sues Feds, Local Authorities

A man who was arrested after stripping to his shorts at a Richmond International Airport checkpoint to protest security procedures is suing federal and local authorities.

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in federal court, claims the Transportation Security Administration, the Richmond airport police and airport officials violated Aaron Tobey's constitutional rights.

The 21-year-old Tobey partially disrobed Dec. 30 to display a message scrawled on his chest about the Constitution's 4th Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure. "Amendment 4: The right of the people to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated," the message read.

A disorderly conduct charge was later dropped.

The lawsuit claims Tobey's arrest violated his free-speech and 4th Amendment rights. It also accuses officials of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Tobey’s protest was about a month after controversy over new security procedures reached a peak before Thanksgiving. At the time, a national survey suggested Americans were not crazy about the pat-downs and full-body scanners, but they disliked even more the thought traveling with someone smuggling bombs in their pants.


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