'I'm furious right now': Woman stopped from breastfeeding by mall security guard records incident
A US mum asked by a security guard to stop breastfeeding at a mall has spoken out about her experience in a furious Facebook Live video.
Ashley Cooper from Richmond, Virginia, visited a local outdoor mall earlier this month so her children could see the Easter Bunny.
When her eight-month-old daughter started fussing, Cooper left her husband and her three-year-old daughter waiting in line and went to a nearby nursing room. It was occupied, so the she sat on a bench.
“While I was breastfeeding, a security guard approached and said, ‘You can’t do that here,’” Cooper, 29, said.
“I was completely stunned, but I told her, ‘In the state of Virginia, I can breastfeed anywhere I’m legally allowed to be.’”
Ms Cooper also decided to start recording the incident on Facebook Live.
“I had no clue what would happen next, so I wanted to document everything,” she shares.
In the video she can be heard saying to other shoppers: "I'm furious right now".
"Now there's two security guards up here, but I'm just going to keep breastfeeding my baby.
"From no angle, not even if I zoom in, can you see anything offensive, not that breastfeeding a baby is offensive."
According to Ms Cooper the security guard then radioed for backup, saying: “Someone isn’t complying” and was joined by a second guard.
“In the meantime, two female shoppers asked me if they could get my husband,” Ms Cooper said.
“But I wasn’t about to lose our place in the Easter bunny line, so I said no. I just continued nursing.”
After she finished, Cooper told the mall’s customer service department about the incident and she received an apology, along with free tickets to the mall’s train ride.
“Then we got ice cream and went home,” Ms Cooper said.
It wasn’t until after she put her daughters down for their afternoon naps that Cooper checked the Facebook video, which currently has 101K views, more than 14K likes, and hundreds of supportive comments.
The mall, which is called the Short Pump Town Center, issued an apology to Cooper on her Facebook page and sent local news station WRIC a statement that read: “We are very sorry for Ms Cooper’s experience at our center".
"As soon as mall management was aware of the situation, the security officer was advised of the inappropriate way it was handled and all associates will receive additional training to ensure this behavior is not repeated.
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"Short Pump Town Center’s policies aim to support our family friendly values and we will work to ensure nursing parents are treated with the utmost respect.
"We responded to Ms Cooper’s complaint in person, with our apology, immediately after the incident happened as well as through a post on her page."
Ms Cooper said: “I’m not angry at the security guard”.
“I just want businesses to train their employees better and for mothers to know their rights, whether they feed their babies by breast or bottle.”
Newsbreak – April 15
