Breast-feeding passenger claims she was harassed by TSA for not wanting her pumped milk passed through X-ray machine

A female passenger claims she was made to feel like a terrorist for bringing breast milk she had pumped earlier through security at Phoenix airport.

Stacey Armato was on her way home to Los Angeles to be re-united with her 7-month-old son after a business trip.

She had 12 ounces of breast milk with her and as per TSA guidelines, she requested the milk not be passed through the X-ray scanner because of possible radiation.

Ordeal: New mother Stacey Armato was on her way home to Los Angeles from Phoenix when she was subjected to additional screening for being in possession of breast milk



Prepared: Ms Armato had pumped the milk to feed her 7-month-old baby later than night but ended up having to be patted down due to additional screening



Ms Armato, who is a lawyer, had been through Phoenix airport multiple times in the past and had previously filed a complaint about the TSA staff's handling of her breast milk.





Because of this, she had printed out the rules from the TSA website and intended to show it to the agents when she was once again asked to go through additional screening when she requested her pumped breast milk not be passed through the X-ray machines.



In an ordeal that last over an hour, Ms Armato claims she was harassed and intentionally made to wait while she watched other passengers go through security to board her intended flight.



When she went to retrieve the papers from her bag to show the TSA agents the guidelines, her hand was swatted away by the security guard who would not let her touch her own belongings.

Travel woes: Ms Armato claimed she had been through Phoenix airport several times before and a police officer told her she was singled out because of her previous complaints



Unhelpful: She had printed out the TSA's own guidelines from their site but her hand was swatted away when she tried to retrieve them



The guidelines state: 'Mothers flying with, and now without, their child be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint.'

Cotton swabs are supposed to be run around the seams/seals of items that don't get passed through the X-ray machine, which would show agents a colour letting them know whether or not there was explosive residue.

Ms Armato claims to have been told by a police officer that the TSA agents were 'waiting for her' because of her prior complaint and they had 'remembered her from last week' and 'saw her coming'.

He is also alleged to have said to the travelling mother that if she didn't 'go through with the horse and pony show' she would be arrested.

Ms Armato was ushered into the special screening box where she stood for almost an hour in tears - and missed her flight home to her baby.

Frustrated: The mother had to watch as other passengers filed past to her waiting flight - which she eventually missed because of her prolonged security screening



Upset: The frustrated passenger had to finally empty her milk into eight 1.5 ounce containers before she was allowed to get on a later flight with them



Finally allowed to show the TSA manager their own guidelines, the man reviewed the papers, but then decided not to follow federal law leaving the new mother frustrated.

After her long wait she was patted down, sent back to the security box, and then eventually told by the security manager that she had two options - to either pass her breast milk through the X-ray machine or dump the milk in the trash.

She is then told that that she has to pour all of her milk into eight individual 1.5 ounces containers, and then go through security again if she wants to take the milk home to her baby.

The whole scenario was captured by a TSA surveillance camera and Ms Armato requested the tapes after returning home.

Following repeated requests, the tapes were finally sent but Ms Armato claims over 30

minutes of her ordeal was missing, including the portion of the tape where the TSA manager demanded her personal information on a piece of paper, which he put in his pocket and kept.

Ms Armato claims she was singled out and harassed by TSA agents and is seeking a lawyer to represent her but so far to no avail.



