A Connecticut woman was berated by a man who called her “disgusting” for breastfeeding her baby in public at a Target. She is now thanking the customers and employees who came to her defense.
Jessie Maher filmed part of the confrontation on Monday in the cafe of a Torrington Target (TGT) and posted it to Facebook (FB). The video was viewed nearly three million times and shared nearly 43,000 times by Tuesday afternoon.
Maher said the man swore at her and insulted her, according the CBS affiliate station WFSB.
Click here to watch the video on Maher’s Facebook page.
“Because I am feeding my baby, this man is going crazy and I’m shaking,” Maher said in the video.
An unidentified woman came to Maher’s defense. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of feeding your baby,” she said. Shortly after, two male Target employees confronted the man and escorted him away from the cafe.
Connecticut state law and Target policy protect nursing in public, according to WFSB.
Maher said the Target employees told her she was free to breastfeed her baby anywhere in the store. WFSB reached out to Target media relations and they confirmed they allow nursing inside their store.
“At Target, we want all of our guests to feel comfortable shopping with us. Our breastfeeding policy, which applies to all stores, is just one of the ways in which we support our guests. Guests who choose to breastfeed in public areas of the store are welcome to do so without being made to feel uncomfortable,” Target said in a statement on Monday.
This isn’t the only time the retailer has been in the news as of late. Back in April, Target announced they are allowing transgender people to use their bathroom of choice. Target’s stance on social issues such as transgender bathrooms and breastfeeding is a key reasons self-described conservatives and liberals have starkly different views of the retailer, according to a recent survey of 10,000 U.S. adults conducted by SurveyMonkey on behalf of Fortune.
