Mother kicked off plane for breastfeeding sues airline

Thanks, Nena! I hope you know that most of us don't see all of you guys like that. Most of us have nursed away, quite contentedly and with support from flight attendants. I have no problem with the offer of a blanket...travelling with kids is exciting and I welcome any attempts to help me out. Sometimes a nursing mom may not have had the opportunity to get her blanket out and a perceptive flight attendant's offer is a real blessing.

So, do you think that if Mrs. Gillette, instead of immediately getting off the plane, had said something to the effect of, "You're giving me an illegal order and throwing me off the plane without proper grounds" that the flight attendant would have backed down? Would that have caused the Gillette's more trouble?

What is the law/rule, here? I can't imagine that this exact situation will happen again, but what would you recommend to a passenger if it does?

Thanks!

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Hmm..I have mixed emotions about this one..I am very pro-breast feeding..but if I am making someone uncomfortable, that is certainly not my intentions and I would cover up if asked to..especially if I had a 2 year old on my lap..I can hardly hold my two year laying down as it is..I'm sure it is not easy to manuver a 2 year old on your lap while breastfeeding on a plane in a small space...so chances are more of the mother was exposed than she realize,which,like it or not, does make many people uncomfortable..it doesn't make it wrong,or dirty..it just is something the many folks in public aren't used to and they feel uneasy and what would have been the big deal if she just used the blanket??? It just seems silly to me to make a situation out of nothing..she could have easily just told her two year to wait a few minutes until they got to the destination and at the age of 2..he/she isn't in immediate need to nurse,so the child would not have starved,she could have used the blanket as requested and just stayed put,or gone to the bathroom...some people get offended when there is no reason to..there were plenty of other options that both parties could have taken...the flight attended may have had some complaints and was only doing her job by trying to make the other customers more at ease or she just might have been uncomfortable with it herself..reguardless, this seems silly to me.

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I do not know what exactly transpired between these people. What I do know is this..this should never have happened.

I have a feeling that the flight attendant was either very young or very stupid. Most likely both.

There is no law that prevents mothers from breast feeding thier children. On any airline.

The F/A involved went overboard for some reason that I can't explain. I have no clue as to why she did this.

We as F/A's are always trained to be very discreet about things of this nature. We don't want to embarrass the mom or make her feel like she is doing anything wrong because she isn't.

However, the Captain is the the one in control of the aircraft. At all times. They were still on the ground when it became his problem. He made the final choice to eject this woman from his/her flight. Based on the F/A's opinion.

Yes, she could have stood her ground. She was in the right. And she could have spoken to the Captain about this. She wasn't a threat to the crew nor the flight.

I have also heard she was asked to get back on board after the Captain and First Officer reviewed everything and she refused. Not that I blame her.

She had a bad taste in her mouth about the whole thing.

As far as I know, this whole thing is about one flight attendant that took it upon herself to be a nit-wit. She did not use any common sense. Nor did she follow her Company's Policy.

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All should have enough respect for the lady feeding her child not to look at her and if it offends them look the other way, I am 70 years old and when I was
a kid that is the way that all mothers nurse their children and no one every said a word, this is just some of this political correct b.s. that they have going on now days thats all. she will probaly get enough from those air lines to buy her a plane.

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A big fat nasty hairy guy can go around all day without a shirt on in public, but a woman cannot even so much as flash a bit of breast tissue in public because it might offend someone? what about my sensitive sensibilities being invaded by said man? Hows that for equal rights? what about in new york where women can go topless anywhere just like men? Tits are not sexual, they have been sexualized. there is no natural sexual function for boobs. period. their only natural function is to feed young. just like a cows teets, oh wait, should we knit cow-udder cozies so they don't offend anyone either?

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Ok, I know this was posted in November but I had to say something. I don't like low v-neck shirts or showing any skin. But I also didn't know how hard it was to breastfeed a child may it be anywhere. I am a new mother and I also have large breast "dd" before having a child.

Now I have gotten over not showning any skin, when my child is hungry I'm feeding her I don't care who's looking if they want to see a nipple fine with me. And breastfeeding is natural, it's the Male that make a nipple a sexual thing, But that's another story.

I would have told the lady to "pissoff". Those blanket are nasty I won't let my dog sleep on them. It's easy to tell who are mothers and who aren't (Ann). It sounds like to me she's a flight attendant with no kids.

And if you really thing about it for those guys who looks like they have breast they should be made to wear a bra or a shirt when they are on the beach. They look just like womans breast. Yeah they don't work but still..... So as a new mother give me a f***ing break.

If you don't like seeing a Mother feed her child turn your f***ing head, get over it.

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Breast feeding in a NATURAL RIGHT. It goes beyond any state laws. That is why women were born with breasts! Babies don't understand that, "we are on an airplane so you will have eat/drink after we land". Feed the kid and shut them up! The attendant was totally in the wrong. A nipple is no big deal. If I were president clothing would be optional everywhere.

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My son is almost 8 months and has always hated having blankets over him when he's nursing. I'm always very careful to be discreet when I feed my baby, I do it so as to not make others uncomfortable but I won't stop feeding my child because someone knows what I'm doing and doesn't agree with my doing it whereever I am at teh time. I don't think one would have to make a "big" scene to get their point across. I would have just continued to ask why? Why do I need to cover up?

Also to people who are offended at mothers who breastfeed their babies in public: If you don't want to see it don't look! Putting a blanket over themselves only draws more attention their way.
It's like saying "I'm going to feed my child now...with my BOOB so don't watch!!!"


My sister got a dirty look from an elderly couple in a restaurant once. They were seated after we had ordered our food and my niece who was maybe 3 weeks old was hungry. They were in the booth behind us and my sister had a blanket over herself, they only knew she was nursing the baby because she all of a sudden got quiet and my sister covered up. So either way people (stupid people) will be offended if they see you doing one of the best things you can for your child.


To those people who are offended by it. I'm sorry for you. Maybe you should mind your business. If you don't want to see it, don't look!

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I breast fed 2 children for a year apiece. First off, 22 months is to old. When I nursed my children, no one ever knew it. I did use a blanket, but I also touched and carressed my children while doing it. While it is natural to breast feed, it is not natural to expose one self in public. I am extremly offeded but public indecency! To me, exposing body parts is offensive. Maybe people like me should sue people like her for exposing us to that! Why should we have to put up with that? So she can have her way? She can have her breast and use it too! Just have her use a blanket, I shouldn't have to lose my rights due to her selfishness and desire to expose herself in public! Don't put me on that jury!!!!!!!

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