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A class action claims that female NYPD cops are forced to pump breast milk in disgraceful conditions due to discrimination by the department.
Female police officers who have recently given birth are allegedly denied a proper place to pump milk for their infant children.
Instead, these NYPD employees are reportedly forced to pump breast milk in various bathrooms throughout the city or in the back of their squad cars while on duty.
NYPD class action plaintiff Melissa Soto-Germosen claims that she had to suffer from unlawful conditions while pumping breast milk and even had to store her breast milk in a maggot-infested refrigerator in the women’s restroom.
She says she experienced these conditions after returning from maternity leave in 2017, and claims that she was haunted by the stress when she became pregnant again in the beginning of 2018. The stress over her pumping situation allegedly caused her to miscarry her pregnancy.
Other women in the NYPD class action lawsuit claim that the unfair conditions caused them to stop breastfeeding completely. Some of the mothers allegedly developed mastitis, a painful inflammation of breast tissue, or postpartum depression after being forced to stop breastfeeding.
Instead of compassion, these woman officers say they faced scorn and ridicule when they complained about the conditions.
Officer Elizabeth Ortiz, who serves as a plaintiff in the NYPD class action, allegedly complained about having to work midnight shifts while also being a new mother. She was reportedly faced with verbal heat for her complaints.
“Aww, you do not want midnights because you are tired?” Ortiz was allegedly told by her supervisor, according to the NYPD class action. “Yeah […] midnights suck. You are not the only cop here on midnight with a child.”
Other woman claim to have faced a similar lack of compassion over their situation.
“Every time you say something, they make you feel like ‘Why are you doing this? You shouldn’t have a kid,’” Soto-Germosen told the New York Post. “They made me feel bad for having a son and wanting to breast-feed him.”
To make matters worse, women reportedly faced retaliation for their breastfeeding needs. Retaliation allegedly included being removed from jobs they loved and moved to “punishment posts,” denied meal breaks, or refused reasonable accommodations such as protective vests.
In addition to their NYPD class action, plaintiffs have filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Spokeswoman Sgt. Jessica McRorie of the NYPD reportedly stated that the police department is “committed to providing its employees with appropriate accommodations to express breast milk privately, comfortably and in close proximity to work.”
Frontier Airlines has faced similar class action lawsuit claims from their employees. The airline is accused of discriminating against female flight attendants and pilots who are pregnant or nursing through unfair policies and penalties.
Did your employer discriminate against your based on the need to breastfeed? Share your experiences in the comment section below.
Plaintiffs and the proposed Class are represented by Eric Sanders of The Eric Sanders Firm PC.
The NYPD Female Cops Breast Pumping Class Action Lawsuit is Teagle, et al. v. The City of New York, et al., Case No. 1:19-cv-07211-DLI-VMS, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
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