On Friday, September 30th I was harassed and shamed by law enforcement officials for breastfeeding my daughter in public at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse in Charlotte, NC.
I was attending a hearing at the courthouse as a legal observer, and brought my daughter along. Because it was past her usual nap time, I was quietly settling down in the courtroom to nurse her to sleep before the judge arrived, when the deputy approached me. With a disparaging glare he pronounced with anger, "Miss! You can't do THAT in here!"
I was taken aback by the severity of his tone, but genuinely confused about his reference. I thought maybe he was referring to the Diet Dr. Pepper beside my diaper bag. I wondered if I missed a sign about drinks in the courtroom.
As I reached down to put the soda bottle away, the deputy got angrier and said, "No! You are EXPOSING yourself to everyone!" This comment was accompanied by a disgusted look and a hand wave around his chest. I was embarrassed, as the entire silent courtroom was now focused on our conversation. But I was also a bit relieved because I wasn't doing anything wrong.
I informed the deputy that in North Carolina a woman's right to breastfeed in public is protected by the law, and that I had every right to nurse my daughter to sleep. But this did not calm him down. Instead, he continued to berate me until he grew so frustrated that he went to find his sergeant.
When the sergeant arrived, flanked by other deputies, he told me to exit the courtroom immediately. I was shaking and terrified of being arrested with my daughter in tow, but I stood my ground. I told him that I would not leave, and continued to restate that the law protects my right to breastfeed in public. Finally, perhaps pressured by other people in the room who were defending me, all of the officers left.
I was allowed to stay in the courtroom, but I'm horrified that this same situation could play out again with similar or worse results for other mothers attending court proceedings in Charlotte Mecklenburg.
Please sign this petition to demand that the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office publicly acknowledge that this incident happened, and commit to training their officers on breastfeeding laws. No woman should ever be shamed, harassed, or intimidated for breastfeeding her child in a courtroom.
