Woman Kicked out of McDonalds for Breast-feeding

A Valley mother said she was kicked out of McDonald's for breastfeeding her 5-month-old son.

Clarissa Bradford said she had just arrived at the McDonald's restaurant at 51st Avenue and Cactus Road on Wednesday night after church. However, once she started nursing baby Ceagan in the play area, she said the restaurant manager told them to leave.

"And I said, 'Excuse me, I'm allowed to nurse anywhere in the state of Arizona that I'm allowed to be, that's the state law,' " Bradford said. "And he goes, 'Well, that's great, but you need to go.' "

Bradford and a friend who was with her said they were dumbfounded, especially since nobody else was in the restaurant at the time.

"I was completely covered, I was wearing a T-shirt, he was covering anything that was exposed, and my T-shirt was draped across his face," Bradford said. "I'm on my third baby. I've gotten pretty dang good at nursing discreetly."

Bradford said the manager then followed them into the parking lot and threatened to call police, in front of the other children.

"I was scared because I thought she was going to jail, and I didn't want her to," said Caden Bradford, Bradford's 6-year-old son,

When a CBS 5 News crew arrived at McDonald's to get answers, they were turned away at the door by restaurant manager Ed O'Keefe, who demanded they leave the property.

The owner of the McDonald's restaurant, Dorothy Stingley, apologized Thursday afternoon for the incident in a statement e-mailed to CBS 5 News.

"As the owner of this restaurant, I would like to apologize to this customer for her recent experience at my restaurant. As a mother myself, I understand why this is upsetting," the statement read. "Rest assured, it has never been our policy to ask nursing mothers to leave our restaurant. This was a mistake. All employees are required to comply with local, state and federal laws.

"Our top priority is always to satisfy our customers, and I have personally spoken to my restaurant management team to ensure this does not happen again."

Bradford called the owner's apology weak.

"That's going to fix it? That's going to fix the trauma that happened to me last night to me and my children? I don't think so. A slap on the hand is not good enough," Bradford said. "I want them to advocate for nursing moms. That would be enough for me."


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