Other: I am incredibly disappointed in the representation of the City of Bloomington by one of your employees. 1st - to make light of the fact that you are doing nothing and getting paid by taxpayer dollars is not funny. I understand that the job comes with perks, such as enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime event, but posts like this are in poor taste. Is this something that the City would share publicly? The second issue is that Shelby Drake is a dietitian. While she is welcome to her own opinion, she represents the City of Bloomington. To say something like "$29 is nothing compared to the price of not liking what you see in the mirror" is dangerous and irresponsible. How many people in the City of Bloomington struggle with disordered eating, body image issues, or eating disorders? There is already limited access to mental health and dietitian support in this city, and the person who is the "expert" is promoting negative and harmful messaging. She - an "expert" - is promoting diet culture and body shaming. I feel the need to put the word 'expert' in quotations, because it is hard to believe that somebody with expert-level knowledge is posting this. I sincerely hope that is not how she is treating the people that come to events or look to her and the City of Bloomington for expert advice. She represents the City as she teaches people of all ages - including children. As somebody who uses many of the services provided and is enjoying seeing so many new offerings, it saddens me to think that this person may be judging me during my own health and wellness journey, or even worse - that she could be using this type of messaging around children, teens, and young adults. People are welcome to their own opinions, and I do believe people can grow and change. I also believe that people need to understand the impact of the things they say when they are representatives for the health and wellness for the City of Bloomington. Social media posts such as needing to pay for a dietitian because you don't like what you see in the mirror need to be taken as seriously as they are.
Comments were submitted anonymously. See comments associated with this case for details on its resolution.
Shelby Drake posted an image to the Story on her personal Instagram page, for the gym she works for. Nowhere on Instagram is she identified as working for Parks & Recreation, or any other affiliation with the city. btownparks followed Shelby on Instagram (she was Unfollowed 4/15/24). This leads me to believe the person who sent the comment knows her. The comment was submitted anonymously so there is no way for me to reply. Images posted to Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours so they're already gone from that thread (although clearly the commenter sent us a screen shot which will live forever). The photo of Shelby and Emily Buuck "your tax dollars at work" came from Emily's personal Instagram page. I will discuss with Emily the decision to post a story image during working hours to her personal page when Emily returns to the office April 22.
