The Topeka City Council will consider a plan to outlaw public nudity. There’s currently nothing on the books making it illegal for people in the Kansas capital city to bare it all.
At a meeting this week, City Councilman Jeff Coen called the Shunga Trail a gem in Topeka.
“Every time I ride, there’s bunny rabbits running across there. We’ve seen turtles and snakes,” says Coen.
But there are some things he doesn’t want see.
“I ride that with my 8-year-old. I don’t want to have to teach her the birds and the bees if we happen to come across the naked guy walking on the trail,” says Coen.
A local man is known to walk the trail naked. While that has caused complaints, he isn’t breaking any laws. Members of the council say they believe other copycats are now learning that they can be naked in public legally in Topeka.
The council could vote on a ban in the coming weeks. They considered the issue last year, but it never came up for a final vote.