Schools
Mom Who Pumped Breasts in Class Faces Suspension
Henry Ford College says it provided private accommodations for the student to pump, but she chose to do it in a classroom.
A breastfeeding mother who was disciplined at Henry Ford College in Dearborn for pumping breast milk during class last month says she feels “discriminated against.”
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Ashley McPherson, 20, of Westland, told WXYZ-TV that she moved to the back of the room in a class that lasts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to pump her breasts after they become swollen and painful. She’s studying to become a certified nurse’s assistant.
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“I wasn’t flaunting,” McPherson, the mother of a 4-month-old son, told the TV station. “I was covered from head to knee basically. The lab coat was pretty big. It covers your whole body.”
Her instructor later said she had acted inappropriately and asked her to sign a Discipline Behavior Form, McPherson said.
McPherson said the instructor was “getting into my face” when she refused to sign the form. She said her actions didn’t make others in the class uncomfortable, and claimed the instructor even said at one point in front of other female students, “Your boobs were all lopsided.”
However, a school spokesperson said the instructor waited until after class had ended to talk with McPherson, and that accommodations had been made for McPherson to pump her breasts in a private room.
McPherson said the room was locked and no one had a key, so she pumped in the classroom.
In a statement, Henry Ford College said:
“The instructor waited until the class ended to discuss the situation with the student and again provide information about where she could pump in private and without distraction. The student at that time claimed Michigan Law permits her to pump in public.
“The college is currently reviewing the situation. We are very respectful of all of our students and work hard to provide a quality and accommodating environment for them to learn and grow. In fact, our mission puts students front and center and we measure our success by the success our students achieve in their careers and lives.”
Michigan state law allows breastfeeding in public, but does not address the question of pumping.
McPherson said that unless she signs the disciplinary form, she faces suspension from school.
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