Who is Ivana Hrynkiw Shatara? Alabama reporter barred from prison execution as her skirt was 'too short'
Ivana Hrynkiw Shatara, a video news producer for AL.com, has claimed she was barred from witnessing the execution of convicted killer Joe Nathan James Jr on July 28 because prison officials said her skirt was "too short".
Shatara posted on Twitter about being told by the Alabama Department of Corrections officer that her outfit was "inappropriate" and "too revealing," resulting in her being stopped from joining other journalists during the lethal injection execution process. “I have worn this skirt to prior executions without incident, to work, to professional events and more, and I believe it is more than appropriate,” she said.
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The journalist had posted a long statement on her Twitter account following the incident. Here's the complete text of what she wrote: "I was not going to share this story but after another member of the media called attention to it, I want to get the story out there. Tonight, a representative of the Alabama Department of Corrections told me publicly I couldn't view the execution because my skirt was too short. I have worn this skirt to prior executions without incident, to work, professional events and more and I believe it is more than appropriate. At 5'7", and 5'10" with my heels on, I am a tall and long legged person. I tried to pull my skirt to my hips to make the skirt longer, but was told it was still not appropriate. Luckily, a very kind photographer from a Birmingham TV station offered me his rain gear-waterproof, Columbia PFG style fisherman's wader pants. The ADOC spokesperson deemed this an appropriate swap for my skirt. I put on the man's pants and attached the suspenders underneath my shirt to stay up. Then, I was told my shoes (open toe heels) were also too revealing and I needed to change shoes. Thankfully, I had a new pair of tennis shoes in my car. Despite wearing a pair of waders from a man I have never met and casual tennis shoes, I continued to do my job. This was an uncomfortable situation, and I felt embarrassed to have my body and my clothes questioned in front of a room of people I mostly had never met. I sat down, tried to stop blushing, and did my work. As women often have to do. If you read this far, you get a medal. Thank you for your support!
Joe Nathan James Jr was executed by lethal injection at a south Alabama prison on the night of July 28, after the US Supreme Court denied his request for a stay. James, 49, who was convicted and sentenced to death in the 1994 shooting death of the 26-year-old Faith Hall in Birmingham, refused to say any final words before execution.
