Judge apologizes, says mom was told not to breastfeed in hearing

LANSING – Ingham County's Chief Circuit Court Judge apologized today, acknowledging that a mother was ordered by a Friend of the Court referee not to breastfeed her baby in a hearing last week.

"I believe he said something to the effect of, 'If you are going to breastfeed, you're going to have to leave,'" Judge Janelle Lawless said about the referee, minutes before about 30 mothers held a nurse-in in the Friend of the Court offices in downtown Lansing to protest. "We're very sorry that this happened, we're sorry of the effect that this has had on Ms. Dickinson."

Potterville mother KyLee Dickinson told the State Journal Wednesday she was told by Ingham County referee Dean Winnie not to breastfeed during an April 30 child support hearing, and then was later ordered to leave the hearing when her 6-month-old baby began fussing.

Court officials acknowledged Wednesday she was ordered to leave the hearing, but did not confirm until today that she was told she could not breastfeed her baby. Court officials Wednesday said a copy of the transcript of the hearing was not immediately available to the State Journal.

Court administrator Shauna Dunnings said the incident amounted to "poor word choice," and said Winnie meant to ask Dickinson to leave because of the noise her infant was making.

"We acknowledge after listening to the sequence of events that Mr. Winnie could have handled it differently," Dunnings said, referencing a recording of the hearing. "It is very unfortunate that this isolated incident has projected the impression that we are not breastfeeding-friendly, because that is not the case at all."

Winnie has not returned phone calls seeking comment.

The county Board of Commissioners passed a resolution supporting breastfeeding rights in county buildings in 2013, and the Michigan Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act passed in 2014, which prohibits people with control over public buildings from denying women the right to breastfeed their babies.

At the nurse-in, mothers breastfed their babies in the Friend of the Court lobby, some displaying signs emphasizing mothers' rights to breastfeed in public. The nurse-in was organized by an East Lansing breastfeeding support group. Representatives from the Women, Infants and Children program were also there sharing information about the health benefits of breastfeeding.

Dickinson said she felt "embarrassed and humiliated" when Winnie told her she couldn't breastfeed in the hearing. She said she reached out to other breastfeeding moms for advice on what to do, and said she was overwhelmed at the amount of support she received.

Dickinson said she will be requesting another hearing. She said she appreciated an offer by Dunnings to take care of rescheduling that hearing, but said she would have liked to hear from Winnie, who was not at the nurse-in.

"I just want him to admit he was wrong and apologize," Dickinson said.

Emily Wacyk, who organized the event, said the nurse-in was intended to educate people about the law.

"The Friend of the Court is supposed to be advocating for what's best for children, and breastmilk is definitely in the best interest of children," Wacyk said. "We want to send the message to the community that moms who breastfeed don't have to just stay at home."