I was kicked out of a mall because the security guard said I can’t show my stomach – stores sell the same shirt
An Australian shopper was allegedly forced to leave a shopping center by a guard who didn’t approve of her outfit, causing the store to apologize for the incident.
When 20-year-old Madison Green went to Dalby Shoppingworld to buy groceries for her grandmother, she was stopped by a female security guard who disapproved of the crop top she was wearing.
“I can see your stomach,” the guard said.
“How come there’s a store in here that sells clothing like this, but I can’t wear it in here?” Green asked.
The guard replied she needed to wear something that covered her whole stomach, saying “That’s the law” when asked why by another man.
Green then pointed out there was another woman in a similar top in the store, to which she claimed the guard said “I saw you first” before calling her a smart a–e and demanding that she leave.
The guard then followed her in and out of the Woolworths supermarket.
“Leave me alone, stop following me!” Green called out.
“That’s my job,” the guard said and kept following.
Green later told 9 News that she could be banned from the center over her outfit.
“I have asked you to get out, get out,” the guard shouted.
Many dress codes at work do not permit an exposed belly, but there is no law forbidding one from wearing clothing items such as crop tops in public spaces.
“It was quite intimidating,” Green told 9 News.
She said she later complained to the center’s management about the incident.
“I was getting more and more annoyed … I’m a woman, and I know for a fact I’m allowed to wear these things. It’s 2024 – I don’t see any issue with it whatsoever,” she said.
On Thursday, Dalby Shoppingworld sent a statement to Nine that confirmed Green was not breaking any of the center’s rules and it had since apologized to her.
“This particular security officer won’t be assigned to Dalby Shoppingworld in the future,” they added.
The center has also requested the guard’s associated security company “review their procedures to make sure their staff have appropriate training.”
The shopping center was previously in the news when a 23-year-old mother headbutted another woman she’d had a previous road rage dispute with, causing a fight in the middle of the center.
