Mother claims she got ticket after breastfeeding in car at Philadelphia airport
PHILADELPHIA PA October 3 2019 The actions of a Philadelphia police officer are under review after a new mother claims she was harassed and issued a “retaliatory” parking ticket for breastfeeding her daughter.
Caroline New took her baby daughter Amelia with her to pick up her sister Sunday afternoon at the Philadelphia International Airport. It was supposed to be an exciting trip because it was the first time Amelia would meet her aunt.
But New says an interaction with a Philadelphia police officer during the trip left her feeling humiliated.
“My hope is that no new mom has to experience what I went through,” she said.
New and her daughter arrived at the terminal around 3:45 p.m. Shortly after the mother put the car in park, Amelia started crying.
“So, I did what any new mom would do and saw that she needed to feed, so I started breastfeeding her,” New said.
New says she was caught off-guard when a police officer approached the car and told her she needed to cover up.
“My window was down. I could hear him audibly groan in disgust, and he came up to the window and told me to cover up,” she said. “I was humiliated.”
When Amelia was done eating, New confronted the officer.
“I wanted to get his name and badge number, so that I could perhaps follow up,” she said. “He, at that point, walked back towards my car and issued me a parking violation.”
The mother believes the no-stopping ticket is retaliatory, and she has since filed a formal complaint with the Philadelphia Police Department. The department confirms the incident is being reviewed, and the investigation is ongoing.
New hopes the incident leads to more openness and understanding about breastfeeding.
“It is legal, and it’s something we should be proud of, not ashamed of,” she said.
In Philadelphia, city and state laws allow women to breastfeed without covering themselves anywhere the public is allowed.
KYW via CNN
