A federal judge in Houston, TX, recently ruled against a local working mother who claims she was fired from her job after asking for a place to pump breast milk.
In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes said that Donnicia Venters’s claims of sex discrimination were unfounded. He claimed that lactation was not pregnancy-related and, as a result, "firing someone because of lactation or breast-pumping is not sex discrimination."
Venters, 30, had worked at Houston Funding, a debt collection agency, for almost three years. She kept in touch often during her 10-week maternity leave and contests the company’s claim that she was fired for “job abandonment.”
Under current federal law, employers at most companies (there are some exceptions based on the size of the company) are required to give new mothers a break to nurse, but it doesn’t specifically protect women from being fired if they ask to do so.
Houston Funding followed up with a statement saying it welcomed the court's ruling. It also denied discriminating against Venters and would comply with new laws protecting women's rights to breast feed in the workplace.
What do you think of the court’s ruling? Have you found it difficult to pump at work? We’d love to know your thoughts!
The company should be ashamed
This year's event is expected
This is ridiculous. How can
Good web site you've got
Right here is the right blog
I'm sad to hear that
I'm sad to hear that happened. I don't understand how breastfeeding isn't related to pregnancy or how it isn't considered something specific to women.
This really is shocking. I am
I was not surpirsed to hear
I was not surpirsed to hear that the judge was a man. I've read a couple of other court cases invovling women and custody battles that turned out just wrong and the judges were men. I'm not man bashing, but this ruling is wrong. The company should be ashamed of themselves and hopefully some bad press will cause them to lose clients. That's the only way a company like this will change.....if it gets hit at the bottom line.
I am astonished that a judge
I am astonished that a judge would rule this way, and feel it is a step backwards for women. It is yet another reminder that we all have to do our part to raise the collective awareness of our own communities.