Women Plan 'Nurse-In' After Tulsa Court Breastfeeding Incident

The City of Tulsa says they are dealing with a personnel issue after a woman witnessed a bailiff telling a mother she needed to go to the bathroom to breastfeed her child.

Now many women are gathering together to have a “nurse-in” later this week to educate people on breastfeeding in public

“It’s a shame that we still have these issues but I feel like it’s important to speak out and if you are silent, nothing will change,” said Savannah Bannon.

Savannah Bannon says she was sitting outside of the division one municipal courtroom in Tulsa when a woman started to breastfeed her baby.

“He came out and he saw her feeding her child and he rudely and very harshly told her you need to go to the bathroom to do that,” said Bannon.

She says she and the mother looked at each other and were both shocked.

“We were appalled,” said Bannon. “We were looking at each other like did that just happen.”

Bannon is expecting as well and says if someone came up to her and said that, she would be angry.

“For her to be told you need to go to the bathroom to feed your child, it just wasn't okay,” said Bannon.

The City says they are aware of the incident but cannot comment further because it's a personnel matter.

Bannon says she and the mother wrote a complaint about the bailiff, but she thinks more needs to be done

“It felt like it was disrespectful to women’s rights honestly,” said Bannon. “I feel like people have fought really hard for women’s rights and for him to just spit on them like that, it was a slap in the face.”

Bannon posted about the incident on Facebook and since then, it's been shared hundreds of times.

She says Green Country women who breastfeed and support breastfeeding are planning a Nurse-In to help change the mindset about breastfeeding in public.

“It’s not a protest, it’s just to educate everybody that it is legal and there is no reason that anyone should be shamed for feeding their child,” said Bannon.

The Nurse-In is happening Friday at 9:00 AM outside the Municipal Courthouse.