Re: :Breastfeeding A No No at IKEA

[Guest guest]

Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it.

Sherri

>

> I told the management that the store was breaking the law and violating my

> rights,

> and he told me that he doesn't know " every little law. "

[Guest guest]

First of all, congratulations for standing up to your rights. I would love to

help out in any way I can, I believe that nursing should be just as much part of

our society as it is in most parts of the world, after all it is the best and

most natural thing to do.

A good thing might be to send a letter to the Board of Directors at that

particular IKEA, if you need or like to collect signatures I am sure you would

get lots of help.

There is still a bundle of ignorance around this and if someone has the time and

energy this matter could be addressed at large. While sitting in the Immigration

Office one day, where you sometimes have to wait for hours, I saw an officer ask

a nursing woman to leave the room.

Good luck in the matter and I offer my help -

Mara

Vaccinations wrote:

>

> So would I.   This is ridiculous.   How could see have been distracted by

> your nursing?  Was she a sexually excited by the prospect of your breast in

> the baby's mouth?   I would persue this if I were you..  We need to speak to

> the Board of Directors in this matter...  I find this appauling...

> OT:Breastfeeding A No No at IKEA

>

>

> > I thought I would send this along in case any of you are interested in

> > helping in anyway.  I got this from the Mothering Message Board.

> >

> >

> > <<On March 16, 2001 at the IKEA store in San Diego,I was wearing my baby

> in

> > a sling and breastfeeding her when I walked up to a sales associate and

> > asked for assistance. She told me that she would not help me unless I

> cover

> > myself up. I told her that I was being discreet and that it should not be

> a

> > problem. She became confrontational and refused to serve me and told me

> that

> > I was offensive, she could not concentrate and I was too distracting. I

> > spoke with her manager and then the store manager and they both defended

> > their employee's actions and her " right to her opinion. " I told the

> > management that the store was breaking the law and violating my rights,

> and

> > he told me that he doesn't know " every little law. " I then left the

> premises

> > without purchasing the merchandise I had in my cart.

> > I told the store manager that I will be pursuing this matter further and

> he

> > refused to assist me by giving me names of his supervisors.

> >

> > Please let me know of any ideas you may have on ways to react to this

> > situation. I am outraged and I would like to see justice served in this

> > situation. I was treated inappropriately and I don't want this to happen

> to

> > anyone ever again in IKEA or anywhere else.

> >

> > I will be needing support for the fight that is to come. Any advice you

> can

> > offer will be greatly appreciated.

> >

> > Colleenmgavin@...

> >

> > Contact me if you are willing to send a letter or participate in a

> > nurse-in!>>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

That was so awful. In NY, it is a $500 fine to harrass a nursing mother.

I nursed all the time and just waited for someone to say something to me

but they never did.

I would find out what the law is in CA regarding nursing women. Then I

would contact a lawyer and ahve them write a letter. As a law student, I

can tell you that if they violated some right, they can be held liable.

After that, I would contact the media and tell them how you were treated.

Please do something!! Don't let them get away with that!!

Ebony

[Guest guest]

Colleen has already wrote up a letter and is sending it to 3 different

people that have to do with IKEA. I am going to send one to support her as

well. I just couldn't believe it when I read it!!

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[Guest guest]

Here is the letter that Colleen wrote to send to IKEA. If you want to help

her please e-mai her at: Colleenmgavin@...

Just to clear things up this didn't happen to me but to a woman named Coleen

on the Mothering Board.

[your name]

[your address]

Rene Häusler, Store Manager

IKEA

2149 Fenton Parkway

San Diego, CA 92108

Dear Mr. Häusler,

I am this letter on behalf of all mothers in reaction to a recent incident

that occurred at your IKEA store in San Diego, CA USA. This incident

involved ILLEGAL discrimination and customer abuse.

On March 16, 2001 at the IKEA store in San Diego, California customer

Colleen Gavin was wearing my baby in a sling (baby carrier) and

breastfeeding her while shopping for a lambskin. She could not find a price

on the merchandise, and it was the only one left on display, so she walked

up to a sales associate named and asked for assistance. , the

carpet section manager, told her that she would not help her unless she

covered herself up. Colleen told her that she was being discreet and that it

should not be an issue. became confrontational and violated California

Assembly Bill 157, section 43.3 of the Civil Code by refusing to serve

Colleen on the basis of her breastfeeding her child.

The IKEA representative, told Colleen that she was offensive, that she

could not concentrate and that she was too distracting. Since she refused

service on the basis of Colleen’s daughter breastfeeding, she reminded her

of California State law that protects breastfeeding mothers and infants.

This did not effect the way she was treated, so she then spoke with her

manager, , who defended 's actions and her " right to her

opinion. " Thus supported ’s decision to violate my Civil Rights.

He did not offer an apology or express regret that I was harassed and

humiliated by this person for breastfeeding… a behavior that is perfectly

normal and natural. If a baby is hungry, should not a mother be able to

satisfy this basic need?

Next, Colleen spoke with the Store Manager on duty. This person’s name is

Hoffman. He had very little concern for the way in which or

treated her, and told her that is a person, breastfeeding makes

her uncomfortable and that she has the right to refuse service to anyone.

Although can refuse service to anyone without reason, she cannot

LEGALLY refuse service on the basis of breastfeeding because there are laws

in place that prohibit this type of discrimination. Why is Mr. Hoffman more

concerned with ’s feelings than a customers, when this mom was doing a

normal, natural, nurturing behavior? When a mother’s feelings or a baby’s

feelings matter?

Colleen directly asked Mr. Hoffman if IKEA has a policy on breastfeeding in

their stores, and he replied, “You can do it, if you use discretion.” Is it

IKEA’s policy to put limitations on how an infant received nutrition?

Colleen reminded Mr. Hoffman about the state and federal laws allowing moms

to breastfeed, and that IKEA and their staff is breaking the law and

violating her rights. His response was, “I don’t know every little law. "

Ignorance to the law does not make a person innocent from breaking the law.

It was falsely assumed that when a person speaks with someone in the upper

management, that they will be treated appropriately. Instead, Mr. Hoffman

was just as defensive and confrontational as was, if not worse. Since

he made no expression of regret, Colleen finally demanded an apology. Mr.

Hoffman was angry and said with a sarcastic tone, “I am sorry if you feel

you were offended about something that happened to you.” She explained to

him that this feeble attempt at an apology was not good enough because he

did not express regret for what actually happened or take any responsibility

for the behavior of his employees.

This entire incident is very disturbing to me, but the most disturbing thing

about the entire incident is that breastfeeding one’s infant in IKEA is an

issue at all. I thought that, considering IKEA was a Swedish company, that

healthy attitudes about breastfeeding would be adopted, like in most

European countries. Obviously, I was wrong about IKEA. The reason I am

certain of this is because, on your website, in the description of your

restaurant features, IKEA states, “A children’s menu and highchairs might be

expected, but did you know that you can also purchase baby food and that you

can heat your baby bottle in the IKEA restaurant?” It is clear from this

statement that IKEA would prefer its customers to bottle-feed their infants.

You may not know that, in regards to breastfeeding, the American Academy of

Pediatrics has released the following statement:

Extensive research, especially in recent years, documents diverse and

compelling advantages to infants, mothers, families, and society from

breastfeeding and the use of human milk for infant feeding. These include

health, nutritional, immunologic, developmental, psychological, social,

economic, and environmental benefits.

Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific;

all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it. The breastfed infant

is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding

methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all

other short- and long-term outcomes.

Epidemiological research shows that human milk and breastfeeding of infants

provide advantages with regard to general health, growth, and development,

while significantly decreasing risk for a large number of acute and chronic

diseases.

Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding

babies a minimum of one full year and the UNICEF and the World Health

Organization recommend breastfeeding for a full 2 years due to the

innumerable benefits of breastfeeding on both mother and child. This is only

a brief synopsis of the benefits of breastfeeding. Due to time and space

constraints, I will not go into detail about the detrimental effects of

bottle-feeding and the use of formula.

Although it should not be necessary to have laws protecting mother and child

while breastfeeding, because of stores that discriminate, there are laws in

place to protect a mother’s right to meet my baby’s nutritional needs. The

applicable law for California is as follows:

CALIFORNIA Assembly Bill #157, 1997

Adds Section 43.3 to the Civil Code, which states " Notwithstanding any other

provision of law, a mother may breastfeed her child in any location, public

or private, except the private home or residence of another, where the

mother and child are authorized to be present. "

This incident is an outrage social justice. Not only was you behavior

ILLEGAL, it was morally and ethically wrong! On behalf of all mothers, not

just breastfeeding mothers, you should be ashamed of your store’s behavior.

How could anyone feel that they have the right to put limitations and

restrictions on how a baby receives nourishment?

IKEA strives to be recognized as a family store. One of your slogans is,

“The most important people…” used in reference to children. If this is a

true value for IKEA, it was not reflected on this day in your San Diego

store. I expect that you should train your staff better on the benefits of

breastfeeding and the rights of breastfeeding mothers so that such an

unnecessary injustice does not have to occur again. Also, it would be

appreciated if you would post a sign in your store welcoming breastfeeding

mothers and infants because, until then, how am I to know that mothers and

babies are truly welcome at IKEA.

IKEA broke the law and violated a mother’s rights, and I fully intend to

support Colleen Gavin in her pursuit for justice in this matter for IKEA’s

blatant disregard of the law and the violation of a woman’s right to

breastfeed in public.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Cc: Ingvar Kamprad, IKEA Honorary Chairman

Anders Dahlvig, IKEA Group President and Chief Executive Officer

Hans Gydell, IKEA Chief Financial Officer

Jan Kjellman, President and CEO, IKEA North America

Pernille Spiers-, President and CEO, IKEA North America (effective

6/01)

l her at

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[Guest guest]

I forgot to also mention that this is the copy that I am going to use to

send a letter to IKEA. Just make sure that you replace her I's with She/Her

etc.

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[Guest guest]

Colleen actually heard from IKEA, they gave her some Gift certificates and an

apology.

If anyone wants me to post the letter to her from IKEA I will.

ZooNana

Original message:

iwill help you in any way possible letter,phone calls just let me know this

ridiculous behavior must be put to an end especially whwere corportae america

is involved-my private email is mickey7471@...

[Guest guest]

iwill help you in any way possible letter,phone calls just let me know this

ridiculous behavior must be put to an end especially whwere corportae america

is involved-my private email is mickey7471@...

[Guest guest]

I'd love to see the groveling. Send it on!

Sherri

(with 2 R's)

ZooNana wrote:

> Colleen actually heard from IKEA, they gave her some Gift certificates and an

apology.

> If anyone wants me to post the letter to her from IKEA I will.

>

> ZooNana

> Original message:

> iwill help you in any way possible letter,phone calls just let me know this

> ridiculous behavior must be put to an end especially whwere corportae

america

> is involved-my private email is mickey7471@...

>

>