Weeki Wachee Mermaid Shannon

Sexual harassment is a serious subject, one to never be made light of. But…

I could not help but grin at the headline “Weeki Wachee manager fired, accused of harassing mermaid” that appeared this morning on our Tampa ABC affiliate’s website.

From the post: “The state’s investigation began in March after a banquet coordinator, Nancy Flowers, was fired. She filed a grievance, accusing [Weeki Wachee Park Directory Tommy] Ervin of behaving inappropriately toward her and her co-workers.

“She also claimed Ervin harrassed (sic) her daughter, Heather Flowers, who is a mermaid at the park.

“According to an 88-page report released by the state, Heather was in an office making copies when “Tommy came in there and he said… ‘oh, you must be bubble butt’ and I’m like, ‘excuse me?’ and he’s like, ‘Bubble butt?’, and I said, ‘no, I’m Heather.’ And he was like, ‘oh, well I’m Tommy, it’s nice to meet you,’” Heather stated.”

For those who don’t know, Weeki Wachee Springs was a tourist attraction founded in 1946 at a natural, 72-degree spring-fed pool located in the small town of Weeki Wachee about 60 miles north of Tampa and 12 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. It features young women dressed in mermaid costumes who perform daily underwater shows while breathing through air hoses. The attraction was taken over last year as a state park by the State of Florida.