[QuinnWilton]

I don't think this is a fair argument. Sure, the shirt probably isn't appropriate for a business casual environment, but that doesn't change the fact that this behaviour is sexual harassment: made worse by the fact that the recruiters are acting from a position of power.

It's also worth pointing out that these events occurred at Black Hat, in Las Vegas: what passes as acceptable business attire there is not the same as what would fly in an office, and I guarantee there were plenty of people wearing far more risqué shirts without facing any harassment.

It's easy to try to pin some responsibility on the woman here, but that ignores the fact that this sort of language and culture is extremely common at Black Hat and DEFCON, and a shirt like she was wearing would not have been out of place at the conference. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if she won the shirt at the conference.

From the year before, here [0] is a sign from the vendor area at Black Hat, featuring an underwear clad model with the caption: "You know you're not the first... but do you really care?"

Similarly, to this day, DEFCON, held one week after Black Hat, and likely the largest security conference in the world, still holds a "Hacker Jeopardy" competition, featuring strippers who remove their clothing as contestants answer questions correctly.

I only say all of this because I think a lot of context is being lost in this article, by people who haven't been to these conferences: the women's shirt wouldn't have been what singled her out here, her gender was, and for the recruiters to harass her for that is unacceptable.

[0] https://twitter.com/secitup/status/497140864708116481

[jollybean]

Ms. Mitchell, by wearing the t-shirt with overtly sexual language, was participating and engendering the ostensible 'sexualized culture' herself, and to absolve her of complicity in her own actions is maybe actually the sexist part.

If a man wore that shirt, we would declare it 'demeaning and sexist' I think, without doubt.

I fully agree, it's all too much, people should be more professional, and the Blizzard guys should not have referenced it at all.

You're 3rd paragraph doesn't add up. If she is wearing the 'dirty t-shirt' ... then she is not a 'victim' to what she herself is perpetuating, unless you think this person is unintelligent? I don't understand.

I don't think this is the story we are looking for, and I don't think legal action is warrant against people referring to someone by comments on their own t-shirt, and it's also upsetting that this nuanced information is not in the article.

'Sexism' is real, it happens, and it's important, and so we can't just flail around with bad information and journalism trying to push narratives. Facts matter and if people want to 'move the needle' it would behove us all to get the story straight.