ACLU, Ocean Community YMCA Settle Lawsuit Involving Public Breastfeeding Law

GoLocalProv News Team

ACLU, Ocean Community YMCA Settle Lawsuit Involving Public Breastfeeding Law

The ACLU of Rhode Island has reached a settlement with the Ocean Community YMCA involving Rhode Island’s public breastfeeding law.

The case was settled on behalf of Elizabeth Gooding who sued the YMCA in May of 2017 for violating her right to breastfeed in public.

Parties in the lawsuit have agreed to a resolution of all issues presented in the case, and filed a stipulation of dismissal on Friday after signing a confidential settlement agreement and release.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

According to ACLU volunteer attorney H. Jefferson Melish, the settlement was “fair to all parties and recognizes the importance of the Rhode Island Breastfeeding in Public Places statute.”

The Lawsuit

The lawsuit claimed that the facility repeatedly prohibited Gooding from breastfeeding her one-year-old infant in public, in violation of state anti-discrimination laws and a statute specifically allowing breastfeeding in public. 

Rhode Island state law specifically protects the right of women who are openly breastfeeding to do so anywhere they are authorized to be.


GoLocal: Benchmark Poll, October 2017

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.