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Crystal Everitt was breastfeeding her 1-year-old son in a Denny’s restaurant when she was asked by a manager to cover up. When Everitt declined to do so, the police were called and she was told that she would have to leave or be arrested for trespassing. The Denny’s in question is in Asheville, North Carolina. The manager told the Asheville Citizen-Times:
In this particular case, this guest was exposed in a manner that was causing discomfort toward other guests to the point of them complaining to management and leaving the restaurant.
The manager clearly needs an education in the North Carolina indecent exposure law, which provides:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breast feed in any public or private location where she is otherwise authorized to be, irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast feeding.
Got that? “… irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered….” Interesting how over and over companies seem to think they do not have to comply with the law if doing so makes other customers uncomfortable. One would hope they would learn a lesson from the national nurse-ins at Applebee’s and the like.
Unfortunately, it seems that the North Carolina law suffers from the same loophole that Texas law does. There is no enforcement provision, and it can be argued that the trespassing law trumps the breastfeeding law. Watch the local news coverage to hear the explanation from the local police (it’s quite a detailed piece and I am impressed the incident got such extensive coverage!) At any rate a breastfeeding mother cannot afford to challenge the police officer in the moment, because as Everitt said, she could hardly breastfeed her child from jail!
Now Everitt seeks an apology from Denny’s. If she receives such apology, she will meet with other nursing mothers and activists at the Denny’s in question for a meal. If not, a breastfeeding rally will be held outside the restaurant and at other Denny’s locations around the nation.
When: Sunday, February 22, 2009
1 p.m.
Where: Denny’s restaurants nationwide, and at the Asheville, NC Denny’s in particular at
675 Patton Ave
Asheville, NC 28806
To participate and receive updates on the plans: Join the Yahoo discussion group formed for the nurse-ins
Your thoughts?
Leave a comment!
Photo credit: gnr
i know her!!! she is really nice and i love her son he is really cute!!! she is one of my mom’s best friends!!!!!!!!!
881 days ago
[...] Texas Law Loophole Explained Nationwide Nurse-ins Planned at Denny’s Restaurants over Asheville, North Carolina Incident [...]
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[...] Denny’s Restaurant harasses nursing mother. After Crystal Everitt was asked to cover up while breastfeeding at an Asheville, North Carolina, Denny’s restaurant, the regional management issued an [...]
1157 days ago
[...] I “just” had my six-month-old at home, I tried to take advantage of the time to get out this post on the Denny’s nurse-ins. At some point my baby started to fuss and I attempted to nurse her to sleep. No dice. She [...]
SOT, if you don’t want them to “waste your time” with it, why keep looking it up of your own volition? Seems you have put a fair amount of time thought into it already. No one is tying you up and forcing you to read this blog and comment, are they?
Media Coverage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEPNJ0hQmkI
Well put Kristin, thank you.
We need to remember ladies that there were small minded people like this opposed to our right to vote, our rights to work, racial equality and more. Don’t let their fear tactics scare you or make you hesitate to feed your baby. Our kids and their future depends on us standing our ground just like we have our maternal ancestory to thank for the rights we have today. Don’t let idiocracy prevail.
Jenny, hopefully they will not waste our time with it on the news. Its was a waste of time, breath, and energy…did Denny’s apologize? If they did, then shame on them. If they didn’t then I will will fill their resturant will civilized humans that can respect other people. Not some women trying to cause a scene.
My husband, daughter and I drove a couple of hours to the nurse-in today and are so glad we did. Crystal did a great job of responding to the manager and standing up for nursing moms. I haven’t seen any news stories on it yet, but I did blog it. I am waiting to see how it is portrayed on the news as opposed to how it looked in person. We can’t get the news station that covered it on TV and it’s not online yet :-(
Secondly, I’m proud of this manager. I happen to manage a business myself. The business I operate would not be affected by a breastfeeding mother unless it was during breakfast hours. If the same situation occured and the customer refused to cover up then they would be removed as well. No business should be required to give up 5-10 paying customers over one person that doesn’t know how to respect others…fine…done with this situation…moving on to some really important issues. That’s one of the problems with our country…too many people concentrating on small ridiculous issues and letting the big issues slide.
No matter what age…are you going to have your 6yr old hanging off your breasts in a resturant…that’s a good question because I really do not know the answer…at what age do you stop breastfeeding a child or bottle feeding if the mother doesn’t breastfeed?
And this opinion of just “look away” is not a realistic view. Should I have to go into a restaurant any look down at the table the whole time? Should I not be able to enjoy my meal?
Let me be clear that I think breastfeeding is a natural beautiful thing as nature intended, but there is a time and place for everything. If I walk through a park and a mother is breastfeeding sitting on a bench…i have no issue whatsoever…and several other locations…but when I’m trying to eat…i do not want to see that….at least be sensitive to other people…
the whole theory here is that everyone else should be quite and accept what you believe, but no one else can have an opinion if it differs from yours. I never claim to be right or know everything. I just express my opinion. If 50 people in the restaurant don’t want to see it, but that one mother wants to do it…..from what I can tell…from your opinion is that these 50 should accept it and get over it…and the one person is right…
Sick of This, you obviously feel very passionately about this. Well “we” feel just as passionate, if not more, to be able “FEED” and nurture our children in public…at any age and we won’t capitulate no matter how “You” feel about it! So, get over it and as MDH said, stop watching women breastfeed ”just look away”
Ew. Troll alert. :(
This is so familiar to the protest on facebook when mothers got upset by facebook removing pictures that obviously did not meet with their terms of service. Facebook’s terms were right and they had every right to remove the pictures. Resturants have the right to refuse service to anyone. Everyone wants to scream about the law giving her the right to breastfeed in public, but push this law aside because it doesn’t suit you. This lady was creating a distrubance and upsetting other customers therefore causing a loss of business.
There are lots of things that are natural in this world that we are required to do behind closed doors. Am I allowed to piss in the floor at dennys…pee is natural. Can I have sex in front of everyone at denny’s – No.
Breastfeeding is a natural wonderful thing, but respect needs to be shown to others. All this lady had to do was be a little bit more discreet about it or feed her 1yr???? child before going to the resturant. Point blank this woman was just trying to create a problem. I would have done exactly what the manager did. I praise him/her for it. I would have left it alone until a customer complainted, then would have asked her to cover up or leave. I do not think Denny’s owes any of you anything…no apology…no anything…i hope if this protest begins they lock everyone of the mothers up for distrubing the peace. Better have a permit and not be on Denny’s property…it is a private business.
Its like woman believe because they had a child and have the ability to feed this child through their breasts that we all have to be subjected to it.
Now let me disspell it before its said…”because its not being used seen as a sexual thing its wrong” that argument is full of bull. People just don’t want to eat and see that. Some families don’t expose their children to this and do not want you to expose them to it.
I don’t want to be eating watching a 1yr old child suck on his mom’s tit. I have no problem with the human body or its natural processes, but we do live in a civilized world. We are not cave people. We know how to be respectful of others.
I’m sure all of you will have plenty to say in rebuttal to this, but not necessary. I have read all comments on 3 sites regarding this. A lot of people have a similar view on this.
It would not necessarily bring more business, there is talk of doing it outside, and other movements have already started that don’t involve going in, more phone call related.
Why give Denny’s MORE business?? Shouldn’t you boycott instead? I’m confused!
1176 days ago
[...] to attempt to facilitate a policy change at the corporate level, while other activists continue to plan nurse-ins in light of the absence of an apology to Everitt. Tags: breastfeeding discrimination, denny’s, [...]
1176 days ago
[...] Over at BREASTFEEDING123, they’ve found the date of the future sit-in if an apology doesn’t [...]
If you’re offended then why are you watching her…just look away!