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The Teen Girl Who Was Sent To Jail In New York City For Swearing After Falling While Ice Skating
A 1950s youngster found herself on the midst of a bizarre legal case after she wouldn’t stop swearing
Prisons and jails typically hold inmates who have either made grave mistakes, or are hardened criminals who have devoted themselves to a life of crime. There are also sometimes other prisoners who may not quite know why they are there, including one 1950s teenage girl, who spent a stint in jail in New York City for swearing after she kept falling while ice skating
On a crisp winter day on January 30, 1953, 16-year-old Yvonne Fonda was ice skating at the Flushing Park Skating Rink in Queens. An excellent student, she was already attending Queens College, despite her age. On this particular day, she was enjoying some physical activity, and attempting to master executing splits while skating. Unfortunately, this is not an easy exercise, and at one point she fell heavily. Like many of us, the disappointment and possible pain of her failed split led to her exclaiming a swear word.
The staff at the skating rink approached the girl and advised her that because there were many others around, it would be best for her to stop practicing splits. They also informed her that the…
