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Asked to cover up and move in a HFS!  

post #1 of 46
Thread Starter 
Tonight, DH, DD and i met my oldest friend at New Seasons (a local HFS) to go shopping and socialize as she is leaving for Maryland on Thurday.
Everything went well. She forgot her sling, I forgot my sling, so when he woke from his nap his daddy carried him around.
after she payed her DH took their DS to be changed in the bathroom and DD, myself and she sat down at one of the tables they have in their seating/eating area to wait for my DH who was paying for our groceries, and her DH who was changing their son.
her DH and DS get back from being changed. he needs to nurse, her DS not DH.
so she proceeds to nurse him.
the CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER comes over QUICKLY and says to either her DH or myself, unsure which as his eyes were darting around and her DH and i were sitting next to eachother "can you ask her to move that over there where people cant see?" i say "move what over where, and why?" he says, "well she is doing... THAT, and i just, customers.. and.. i..." and starts stammering because he is now looking at my face and seeing just how pissed off i am. i say "by law you cannot ask her to move, or cover up. by law you are doing something VERY illegal. it is her right, her legal right to nurse her child. to FEED her child wherever she and her child are legally allowed to be. she is a customer here, so she is legally allowed to be here, so is her child, so they are legally allowed to nurse here."
he says "oh i KNOW the law, and if my customers complain..." i broke in "no. whether customers complain or not. you are being illegal to ask her to move or cover up. a nicer thing would be to get her a drink of water. you now need to leave her alone. you have NO clue what kind of can of worms you have opened up."
he huffed away.
i was FUMING.
he went and talked to my DH.
told him to come let me know whats right and wrong, and "she tried to tell me i dont know what the law is, i KNOW what the law is. you need to go tell your woman whats right" WTF?! like he needs to shut his little lady up?!

so DH came over and told me what the man said.
the man whose name tag said CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER!!!!! great customer service.

so letters need to be written. i will be writting one for SURE.
i would also like to plan a nurse in. SOON.

their contacts page is here
their store locator is here
this happened at 9:45 ish tonight January 2nd at the Cedar Hills Crossing store.
post #2 of 46
That's awful. I am composing an email. I'd wait on the nurse in for now, who knows they may immediately smack the guy down.
post #3 of 46
ARGH!!!! You were amazing, though! Way to stand up for your friend, and all of us breastfeeding mothers!
post #4 of 46
unbelievable...... i go to that new seasons all the time. i would never expect it from that place..... that is shocking!!!!!
post #5 of 46
"You need to go tell your woman"

????

Besides the upsetting comments about breastfeeding, he is very sexist!
post #6 of 46
In OREGON of all places?? WOW! We don't have that store down here (darnit!)

Oregon law fyi:

ORS § 109.001
1999 Ore. ALS 306; 1999 Ore. Laws 306; 1999 Ore. SB 744

A woman may breastfeed her child in a public place.


The only thing I can think of was he was arguing semantics, kwim? Because the law does NOT say it's illegal to ask her to cover up or move, just that it's LEGAL for her to bf in public. (Yes, we need a better law, between that and the "optional" work and bfing laws
post #7 of 46
"Your woman". Yoinks.
post #8 of 46
Here is my letter. That is infuriating!

It has recently come to my attention that a customer service manager at you Cedar HIlls Crossing Store requested, not asked, a nursing mother to remove herself and her child from view of other customers. This is extremely rude and insensitive considering that she has a legal right to stay right where she was. Even after being told that she had every right to be there, he replied that he knew the law but didn't care. I strongly suggest that you educate your staff on the rights of breastfeeding mothers to legally nurse/feed their children where they are legally allowed to be. As a customer to your store, I would be very disappointed if no action was taken to this end.
post #9 of 46
I sure hope your DH gave him the what-for instead of just passing along the message
post #10 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by tuansprincess View Post
Here is my letter. That is infuriating!

It has recently come to my attention that a customer service manager at you Cedar HIlls Crossing Store requested, not asked, a nursing mother to remove herself and her child from view of other customers. This is extremely rude and insensitive considering that she has a legal right to stay right where she was. Even after being told that she had every right to be there, he replied that he knew the law but didn't care. I strongly suggest that you educate your staff on the rights of breastfeeding mothers to legally nurse/feed their children where they are legally allowed to be. As a customer to your store, I would be very disappointed if no action was taken to this end.
Just a thought- you may want to clarify this part... Very good letter though!
post #11 of 46
Thread Starter 
thanks ladies. my own letter is being written and ready to send off.
i am SOOO mad this happened.
and my husband just laughed at him when he told him to straighten me out. wtf, yeah, what a UA violation.
i have never liked this guy he has made my DD cry twice, because he is so loud and gets in your space, and one day he came up to her in the cart, keep in mind she is only two, just BIG, "you dont need to be in that cart, you need to walk, dont let your mama let you be lazy, you end up faty like your family"
i let that slide, but this... no way in hedes is this being gotten away with
post #12 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by AddysMama View Post
"you dont need to be in that cart, you need to walk, dont let your mama let you be lazy, you end up faty like your family"
i let that slide, but this... no way in hedes is this being gotten away with
Please don't let that slide. Please tell them he has a pattern of verbally abusing your family or he will think it's ok.

You are so awesome!
post #13 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by AddysMama View Post
i have never liked this guy he has made my DD cry twice, because he is so loud and gets in your space, and one day he came up to her in the cart, keep in mind she is only two, just BIG, "you dont need to be in that cart, you need to walk, dont let your mama let you be lazy, you end up faty like your family"
WTF?!?!? That is NOT okay either.

My Brother shops at that store all the time (we're not in Portland, or I'm sure we would) and my In-laws--- I'll get them on it too.
post #14 of 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by AddysMama View Post
i have never liked this guy he has made my DD cry twice, because he is so loud and gets in your space, and one day he came up to her in the cart, keep in mind she is only two, just BIG, "you dont need to be in that cart, you need to walk, dont let your mama let you be lazy, you end up faty like your family"
If you'd told the store owners about that BS this guy would have already been fired and wouldn't have been at the store to harass your friend.
post #15 of 46
I LOVE the "go tell your woman attitude" HAHAHA. Dh used to get that from guys in his unit about my bumper stickers.

WOW about the store. That is appalling. Seems that person had a problem, and no one had complained. Wish I was nearby for a nurse in.

Oh and his "fatty" comment, that would have me fuming as well. Did this guy forget who pays his salary?
post #16 of 46
Thread Starter 
i called the store for his name. to include in my email.
ended up talking with that particular stores manager.
his name is Steve and he was VERY nice. his wife nursed all of his kids, and doesnt see anything wrong with a woman nursing anywhere.
he agreed what the employee did was WRONG and that he was WAY out of line.

apparently the employee told Steve that a customer told him to tell the mother to move because the customer was uncomfortable.
there were like 3 other customers in the store. one was a mother with an infant the same age as the nursling. the other was her husband. and the last was a middle aged man.
even IF a customer complained. he should have told them that the nursing mother has a right to feed her child ANYWHERE. and left it at that. and Steve the store manager agreed with this whole heartedly.
he also mentioned that Claudia, one of the big head honchos wants a new training done.
phone calls from the big wigs n such were on his voice mail when he got to work this morning.
so YAY go team boobies!
post #17 of 46
Wow! I got a reply back already!

Edited to remove private email posted without permission.
post #18 of 46
Thread Starter 
i got pretty much the same response.
post #19 of 46
Mamas, please do not post private emails without the express permission of the author, as per MDC's copyright policy. You may, however, feel free to summarize. Please remove any private emails from the board so the mods won't have to do it for you. Thanks!
post #20 of 46
Wow!

I think that is the best response letter I've seen to date!!!
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Mothering › Forums › Breastfeeding › Lactivism › Asked to cover up and move in a HFS!