This time in my state.
A nursing mom was told to go to the bathroom or cover up at Westgate Mall. Read the story. What the news didn’t mention was that the security guard called the police who actually made the grandmother go to the car to get the mom’s driver’s license so they could file a report!! Did the police not even understand the law? The mom was carrying the DHEC card explaining her legal right to nurse in public but the guard refused to look at it. What an odd world in which we live–moms carrying cards identifying their right to feed their babies.
I love how the newspaper article ends by saying the mall offers family rooms for nursing. Who cares? The mom can nurse wherever she pleases. And, as usual, the newspaper is hosting a web poll asking if you are offended by a nursing mom. Again, who cares? It doesn’t matter who is offended. She is protected by the law.
ETA: Please take a moment and email the manager of Westgate Mall. The mom says that he told her she was “overreacting” and that the security guard was just trying to help. Ron_Thomas@cblproperties.com
Inexplicable Ways 
SC is having a bad week (or maybe month). I am just shocked at how many uneducated, ridiculous police officers we have in this state. We only hear about the bad and it makes the good ones look stupid (or worse, corrupt) too! I didn’t get the web poll but I did get the pop-ups. NICE, News Channel 7.
Heh, I was just about to rant about this myself. I love the fact that as they were showing general mall traffic during the story, this woman with shorts far too short to be decent walks past. But this isn’t what’s offensive, just the basic act of infant nourishment. This is worse than the new billboard that’s been put on on 78 as you head into Anderson regarding the ‘ABC’s of infant sleep’.
People are just uneducated…especially in the area in which we life. I agree about the billboard on 76….has anyone else other than me noticed that while it shows the A-Alone on the billboard…there is a blanket wrapped across the baby? If they’re truly trying to show their “ABCs” then they should at least have their picture matching what they’re preaching. (but that’s another topic entirely)
doh, area in which we LIVE
I haven’t seen the billboard but I noticed the same thing on their website–baby with blanket alone in crib. Good grief.
i am utterly amazed by this. who would have the audacity to approach someone nursing and be mean about it? must have anxiety about boobs, never was nursed, or wife wouldn’t/”couldn’t”. some issue must lie beneath a vendetta of that sort. i found that combining babywearing with breastfeeding in public kept me on the move and away from pesky boob-haters. i hope the westgate mall hands out cleavage tickets.
It was a female security guard. And according to the mom, she hovered over the mother the entire time . Even after the head security guard found out (much, much later) that the mom really was protected by the law and asked the female security guard to apologize, the female guard refused.
What is the DHEC card?
I think women are way worse than men about being boob police. They probably are insecure. I know when I meet moms who are not breastfeeding b/c they were discouraged, it’s always been by another woman.
This is unexcusable. I did email the Westgate Mall and I sincerely hope I get a reply. I will be shopping there no more, but I’m all for a nurse-in! Any one up for it? 😉
emily, ohhhhhh if only i lived in SC, I would be there with you!
I think the SC Breastfedding Advocacy Group (I’m sure I have the name wrong) is actually planning one within the next two weeks, for you SC mamas.
Hey guys! I am the mother in question right now and thought I’d make sure everybody was up to date on everything. First of all I know this getting around through the internet and people watching tv the story gets mixed up. Westgate mall never told me I couldn’t breastfeed there they demanded that I go in the bathroom or put a blanket over her. First of all she doesn’t eat with blankets over her head (she’s four months old) second of all, I had a plate of food and I thought it would be ridiculous for me to move and thought well, if I feel this way about my food then she should have the same respect.
That being said I met with the GM last night, Ron Thomas, who said that I “over-reacted and there was a crowd gawking…” apologized to me and said there would be a formal apology released to the media (haven’t heard it yet). He said had the news been later after he started investigating it would’ve gone in a different direction. My question is, if he hadn’t investigated why did he make a statement of something he had no clue about making my humiliation go sky high.
He has to send everything to corporate but I suggested (one of my many suggestions) that westgate mall hosts a breastfeeding awareness day. He seemed really open to that idea. So if we shift more towards that idea we can still get the education out there and have all the nursing moms go up there that day instead of a protesting nurse in! Hopefully it’ll end positively but if it doesn’t we will all be up for a nurse-in. SC breastfeeding coalition said see how it pans out, first right also said to wait. Obviously we would like to end on a positive, educated note 🙂
I told him everything I had to say, all he could say was he knows they were wrong and couldn’t believe his employee could/would act like that. I was OK with the meeting, knowing that he was still covering his butt for his company I didn’t trust him completely but had peace of mind and felt like the situation was being handled properly.
I was optimistic so my mother and I walked through the mall and she’s still working!!! Why would he call and invite us to the mall to apologize, and then make us deal with her all over again by seeing her still at work. She should be suspended pending investigation! What nursing mother (that didn’t know her rights) did she harass last night?
Hi Tiffany! Thanks for updating us and for turning this incident into a welcome awareness opportunity!
Jennifer, the DHEC cards were, I think, created by the SC Breastfeeding Action Committee. They include an outline of SC law on breastfeeding rights.
Oh my gosh- this is appalling!
Steph