Follow up
When I initially wrote about Carolynn Prior’s experience with the YMCA and the Ontario Human Rights Commission I was unable to find any actual news articles about the incident where she was rudely told that nursing her baby while watching her two children take swimming lessons was obscene. The Toronto Star now reports that the YMCA staff members who asked her to stop erred in their judgment.
“We are a breastfeeding-friendly and a family-friendly organization. That is not our practice. We are taking this very seriously.”
Heipel [vice-president of communications of the YMCA of Greater Toronto] said an email was sent out to all staff on Monday reminding them that no one should interfere with any woman nursing her child on YMCA premises. He said employees were told that if a member complains about someone breastfeeding, the onus is on staff to address that person’s discomfort, and not the nursing mother’s actions.
Let’s hope Prior receives the written apology she deserves.
And for the record, about yesterday’s post, I think that yes, Sophie Currier losing her case is discrimination. There are ways to provide her time to pump without putting the rest of the exam takers at a disadvantage. She’s pumping breastmilk, not cheating.
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September 21st, 2007 at 5:33 pm
I agree that Currier’s situation is discrimination. I am a licensed CPA and have taken a rigid, standardized exam before, so I do appreciate that they have to be careful that she doesn’t gain an extra advantage (i.e. extra time to “think” about sections she is currently working on). I think they could accommodate her by giving extra time between sections that she has already completed.
However, judging by the ignorance surrounding breastfeeding currently demonstrated by male doctors that I have witnessed through many friends, I am not surprised that Currier lost her case. Yep, it is a bunch of doctors, but it seems to still be a male dominated field.