PPD officer's lawsuit over lactation breaks, retaliation can go forward

December 2020 employment law letter

Authors:

Angella Middleton, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP

A Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) officer can go forward with her Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) claims that she was denied lactation breaks and was a victim of retaliation, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania recently ruled.

Employees request lactation accommodations

In July 2018, PPD Officer Janelle Newsome gave birth to a child. After returning from maternity leave, she was still breastfeeding her infant and planned to do so until the child turned one. According to the officer, however, no one at the department followed up to provide her with a location where she could take lactation breaks. She began to pump in colleagues' offices but was frequently interrupted and told to go elsewhere.

Newsome and a fellow nursing officer brought their requests for assistance to their superior's attention on multiple occasions, but each time he failed to provide accommodations:

Continue reading your article with a HRLaws membership