Photos of strippers taken by a Ryerson University librarian that surfaced Nov. 24 in the Torontoist are raising privacy concerns.
The photos were taken in August and September by digital archives librarian Brian Cameron. Cameron said he would not comment on the issue but in a blog post he said he was “stunned” and “embarassed.”
Two strippers quit following the publication of the photos and many more are in “tears” because of the violation of their privacy, according to a Toronto Sun article.
In the same article Graeme Hirst, a University of Toronto privacy professor, argued that taking pictures of the strippers on the roof is a violation of privacy.
“It’s almost like an extension of their own private dressing room,” Hirst said. “Then certainly, they have a right to think it’s private.”
Cameron took pictures of strippers on the roof of Zanzibar Tavern from his office window. On his blog, he said the Torontoist asked to use the pictures after he posted them on his personal Flickr account.
Cameron said he was not prepared for the “sensational” way the Torontoist used the pictures.
“I expected that any discussion of the photos once highlighted on the Torontoist would focus on the photography. I realized too late that the reaction to these images within the photography community would be far different to the reaction of the general public. That seems obvious now,” he said.
Zanzibar owner Allen Cooper said since the incident he has started warning employees they may be photographed if they take their breaks on the roof.
“We have put up a couple of signs, as well as providing them with robes and long jackets,” Cooper said.
Cameron will not face any disciplinary actions, but he has apologized multiple times.
“I have apologized to Ryerson’s president for the negative publicity and I would like to apologize to anyone who was offended in any way by the photographs,” he said on his blog. He said he did not think the roof was private.
Janet Mowat, director of public affairs for Ryerson University, said there was little she could say about his actions. “We don’t discuss employee-related matters,” she said.
Mowat said the university heard about the pictures around the time they were published in the Torontoist. “From the university perspective, it would appear he had not broken the law,” she said, adding that “he hasn’t contravened any of our policies.”
Nine of the 10 pictures have since been removed from the Torontoist website.
Cameron said his interest was purely in the photos themselves.
“I did not forsee this media frenzy. I would never have agreed to the Torontoist request if I had known this.”