Ashland mayor wants ban on nudity near schools

Friday, October 16, 2009 11:42 AM PDT

ASHLAND (AP) — Ashland Mayor John Stromberg says he’s changed his mind about banning nudity near schools in the southern Oregon city, after several reports of a vacationer walking naked near school grounds.

Stromberg cast the tie-breaking vote last month to defeat a proposal before the City Council to ban public nudity within 1,000 feet of schools, saying the issue would be better handled by a citizens’ initiative in which residents gather signatures to get a measure on the ballot.

However, he said in an e-mail Wednesday to city and school staff and The Ashland Daily Tidings newspaper that he’s changed his position because a man recently came to Ashland, saying he wanted to be naked near its schools.

Dating back to at least Oct. 8, the man has been spotted at different times exposing himself near Ashland High School, Ashland Middle School and Walker Elementary School, police said.

It’s not illegal to be nude in Ashland, although the city has a ban on the display of genitals downtown and in parks.

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Police Chief Terry Holderness said police are not releasing the man’s name because he has not broken any law, but he is 51 years old and on vacation from Minnesota.

Holderness said police have no reason to believe the man is on parole or probation, is a registered sex offender or has any other legal reason that prohibits him from being around children.

After school officials complained, officers told the man they he could be arrested for trespassing if he went on school grounds.

He still has a legal right to be on public sidewalks around schools, Holderness said.

‘‘During our last contact with this person, we made him aware of the community concern and he agreed to stop walking around the school nude and told us he was leaving to return home the following day,’’ Holderness said.

Earlier this summer, another man upset some residents for strolling nude through Ashland, including near Walker elementary when children were present. Stromberg said the man later agreed to stay away from schools. Stromberg said he will ask the council to direct the city attorney to draft a measure prohibiting nudity within 200 feet of schools.

The council could choose to adopt the measure or refer it to voters, he said.

‘‘I’m changing my position because this latest case involves someone who says he came to Ashland from Minnesota in order to be naked near our schools,’’ Stromberg said in his e-mail. ‘‘I think we want to avoid becoming an attraction for exhibitionists using our school children.’’

He said the 200-foot limit was an attempt to balance citizens’ freedom with protections for children.

Oregon doesn’t ban nudity or have a crime of indecent exposure. However, some cities, including Portland, Eugene and Corvallis, have adopted their own laws against public nudity.

Information from: The Ashland Daily Tidings, http://www.dailytidings.com