SAINT GEORGE, Utah — A mother is speaking out after she said she was reprimanded and asked to ‘cover up’ while breastfeeding at an elementary school.
Shannon Anderson said she wanted to walk her daughter Zoe into school for her first two days of kindergarten at Bloomington Elementary.
Her son is only 6 weeks old, so she brought him along.
“He was hungry, so I had to breastfeed him and we were in the cafeteria,” said Anderson.
Anderson said the principal saw what was happening, approached her and asked her daughter’s name before walking away.
She didn’t think much of it. But later that morning when Anderson was at the playground breastfeeding her son again, the principal approached her a second time.
“She asked me to cover up and I said, ‘Well, I don't have anything to cover up with.’ And she said, ‘While there are children around, it would be better if you could cover up,'" said Anderson. "She said she would look at the district policy.”
The mom of four said the experience left her in shock.
“I had never been reprimanded before for breastfeeding in public,” Anderson explained, “I was angry that I had been approached so publicly, you know, and just, I felt embarrassed.”
She and the school staff met on Monday to discuss the school’s policy.
The school staff pointed to House Bill 196: The Breastfeeding Protection Act, which states mothers are allowed to breastfeed in places of public accommodation.
However, Director of Communications for the Washington County School District Steven Dunham said a public school doesn’t fall under that category.
“You know, our staff's top priority as a district is to provide our students with a comfortable and focused learning environment that really minimizes distractions or disruptions,” said Dunham.
"By law, public school buildings are considered non-public, public spaces," a statement from the school reads in part. "This means that while a school building is public, it is not a place of public accommodation; meaning school buildings are not open to serve the general public."
Dunham said he wants to be clear that the district supports nursing mothers of students at the school, but he said they will require them to do it in a separate room.
“We really want our parents to feel comfortable in our schools and we want them to feel like they can take care of their younger children while they're volunteering or attending a performance,” said Dunham, “And we will gladly provide a private location for them to be able to do that at their convenience.”
He said at Monday’s meeting, they offered Anderson the opportunity to nurse in a private room in the future.
In response, she said that option is unrealistic with her tight schedule of driving multiple children to different schools and daycares.
Anderson added that she wishes breastfeeding would be seen as a natural right for women, no matter where they are.
“I hope that everybody would consider just giving us some grace. You know, we're trying our hardest and that's what we're doing. We're just trying our hardest to keep our children healthy and happy,” she said, “And I do consider the other people around me. But my children are definitely my priority.”
