Philadelphia Police Investigating After New Mother Says She Was Issued 'Retaliatory' Parking Ticket For Breastfeeding At Airport
GLENSIDE, Pa. (CBS) -- The actions of a Philadelphia police officer are under review. A Montgomery County woman claims she was harassed while breastfeeding in her car at Philadelphia International Airport.
When Caroline New arrived at Philadelphia International Airport's Terminal C around 3:45 p.m., it was supposed to be an exciting time.
New's baby, Amelia, was slated to meet her aunt, who was visiting from California, for the first time.
Once New put the car in park, Amelia began crying.
"At that point Amelia started crying so I did what any new mom would do," New said, "and saw that she needed to feed so I started breastfeeding her."
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Minutes later, New was issued a no-stopping ticket by Philadelphia police. But she says what upsets her the most is the interaction with the officer that led up to the ticket.
"My window was down. I could hear him audibly groan in disgust," New said, "and he came up to the window and he told me to cover up."
New says she was caught off-guard.
"I was humiliated," New said.
So after Amelia finished her meal, New went and confronted the officer.
"I wanted to get his name and badge number so that I could perhaps follow up," she said. "He, at that point, walked back toward my car and issued me a parking violation."
New says she believes the ticket is retaliatory and she has since filed a formal complaint with the Philadelphia Police Department.
A police spokesperson confirmed the incident is being reviewed and the investigation is ongoing.
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"I was horrified for her and kind of shocked that, that would happen in 2019," Blissed Out Mamas owner Lisa Broderick said.
Broderick owns Blissed Out Mamas, a women's center for breastfeeding. She pointed out city and state laws that allows women to breastfeed without covering themselves anywhere that the public is allowed.
She believes the officer violated the statutes on nursing.
"He went out of his way to harass her because he was uncomfortable and that's on him for being ignorant," Broderick said.
Both New and Broderick are hoping this incident leads to more openness and understanding about breastfeeding.
"My hope is that no new mom has to experience what I went through," New said. "It is legal. It's something that we should be proud of, not ashamed of."
