Remember this post about Sophie Currier, the breastfeeding mom who requested special accomodations for longer breaks during a medical exam and was originally denied the request? Well, she won her appeal.
My jury is still out though, as to whether Ms. Currier has really won Workerettes any rights. Her attorney claims that she's being placed on an equal plane with men and non-lactating women. My concern is that she's crossed over the "equal rights" line and gone for the "gimme all I can get or I'll sue you" line. After all, she had already been granted an extra day to take the test due to disabilities including ADD and dyslexia. The other students are taking their test in a grueling one-day period.
As I said in my prior post, I'm all for legislation that makes it VERY obvious to store owners, law enforcement, teachers, and the like that breastfeeding is a natural process and is not profane or pornographic. I'm all for the rights of a woman to pump at work on her breaks, in a private location, if she requests it. After all, some gals already have an office with blinds and a locking door - lucky ducks! - but not all do, and many have to ask for, or even demand, some privacy and adequate time.
I'm worried, though, that this case is going to be one of those "two steps forward, one step back" situations. How many employers and educators will now only comply with such requests because of fear, and possibly respond with malice at a later date, because they have heard about this case? How many Workerettes will really benefit from this, and how many will be stigmatized by it?
It's a conundrum for me, gals. As a woman and as a mom, I kind of want to say "You go, girl - you won". As an employer, though, I want to say, "Hold on a second - you failed the first test; why not just wait to retake it? Don't act like you're the only mom on earth who has put her career aside for a year for her baby."
I'm stuck. But apparently Ms. Currier isn't. Let's just hope she passes this time and the whole thing can be over and done with - and that in the end, breastfeeding mums will win what they truly need, not just what they can get.
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