Arizona woman allegedly told to breast-feed in bathroom by store employee
Feb 9, 2016, 9:00 AM | Updated: 9:08 am
PHOENIX — An Arizona woman claimed she was told to breast-feed in the bathroom of a Barneys New York by a store employee, according to New York Daily News.
Andrea O’Dowd, 32, said she attempted to breast-feed her daughter Serena in a dressing room last Thursday, when employees at the Scottsdale Fashion Square store told her she couldn’t because of “loss prevention” concerns, the article said.
Andrea O’Dowd and her 4-month-old daughter, Serena. (Photo: Andrea O’Dowd)
“They tried to tell me to use their bathroom, which didn’t have an area to feed or change a little one, just stalls,” O’Dowd said in a Facebook post.
O’Dowd said she allowed the employees to search her stroller, but they refused.
“I’ve gotten a lot of support,” she said in an interview with the Daily News. “I decided to speak out because this should not be such a big issue — it’s just natural. They shouldn’t be intimidated.”
According to Arizona law, women are allowed to breast-feed their babies in any private or public location.
A statement from Barney’s New York said the company is reviewing its “lactation policy and training protocol for all locations to ensure that we are adhering to best practices,” the article said.
