When ignorance about breastfeeding coincides with an irrational fear of terrorists, what do you get?
A very nasty scene at a ritzy New York Country Club, that’s what!
This is exactly what Belgian diplomat Tom Neijens and his wife Roseline Remans discovered when they stopped by the Metropolis Country Club in White Plains, New York on June 8, 2013 and inquired about having lunch.
Club employees permitted the family to dine on the terrace despite the fact that they weren’t members, whereupon Remans began to discreetly breastfeed her daughter Luka at the table.
Neijens, first secretary of the Belgium Mission to the UN, told the New York Post that a female employee of the club quickly interrupted Roseline’s perfectly legal and proper feeding of her baby with this sharp rebuke:
“Please leave immediately, you are disturbing the members!”
When Neijens protested and said it would only take a few minutes, the female staffer insisted that Remans finish in the restroom.
Understandably incredulous at the blatant ignorance on display at such a high end establishment, Mr. Neijens inquired why a baby would be asked to have lunch in the restroom when adults are not.
The Greenburgh Police Department arrived minutes later with Detective Scott Harding apparently yelling, “Close the doors!” with two other diners ordered to leave the terrace.
Mr. Neijens described the chaotic scene as something straight out of a Western movie with the officer walking around like John Wayne with “one hand on his gun, one hand on his Taser.”
The officer warned the couple that they were trespassing despite the fact that country club staff had given them specific permission to dine. He also said that some fearful members thought Mr. Neijens’ black backpack indicated they were terrorists.
Most laughable if not actually true, is what the officer came out with next when a tearful Ms. Remans asked why terrorists would breastfeed at a ritzy club:
“In Sri Lanka, babies are used by terrorists.”
Well, you learn something new every day, don’t you?
Attention all breastfeeding mothers. Your milk engorged breasts are actually considered weapons of mass destruction by law enforcement authorities. That liquid is NOT food for your baby. It is actually highly explosive material that could detonate at any time, sparking a chain of events identified by the media as bona fide terrorist activity.
Detective Harding quickly backed off his ridiculous posturing when Mr. Neijens revealed his State Department issued identification.
He dismissed his over the top behavior by explaining that the club had received terrorist threats in the past.
Despite the fact that they were doing nothing illegal or improper and possessed proper identification, the couple was still escorted off the premises via the back door.
A few days later, Mr Neijens sent an e-mail demanding an apology from Country Club general manager Tracy Fraus and assistant general manager Audra Vaccari.
“I am deeply worried about your staff if they cannot distinguish between a European couple looking for a quiet place to breast-feed a baby and suicide terrorists carrying a backpack.”
Lt. B.J. Ryan, a spokesman for the Greenburgh Police Department, labeled the incident as a simple “cultural misunderstanding.”
Ahem. On behalf of breastfeeding mothers everywhere, I beg to differ.
Breasts are not “cultural” and there is no “misunderstanding” their true purpose. They are the universal instrument for optimal feeding of babies.
Not “boob grenades”.
Hard to believe the terrorism handbook didn’t cover this point properly.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Sources:
Belgian diplomat booted from golf club, treated “like terrorists” over wife’s breastfeeding
Couple “treated like terrorists” over breastfeeding and backpack at ritzy restaurant
Sorry, I don’t believe for a second that anybody thought they were terrorists…The management knew which code words to use for maximum police force in minimum time against a family just eating lunch and breaking no laws. I also doubt the police would have reacted so in a poorer area, versus a country club.
I have to agree with you here. Police have to respond based on what they are called to with the information given. They have to treat everything as it that were true then adjust. Obviously the Det. backed off when he saw the real story. The bad guys here are the intollerant “members” that were offended and the staff for calling it in as they did. People are so quick to blame the police. I think people think they are manipulated by the gov’t in a way they are not. Gov’t involvment happens at a higher level of law enforcment (FBI and other agencies perhaps) and when needed local police provides assistance. For the most part these are local guys who live in and care about the community. This example of blaming the cops goes to show that the sheep are afraid of the sheepdog because he reminds them there are wolves and they just don’t want to think about that. Who do they hide behind though when the wolf comes around? A little respect or maybe people should call a crack head next time they want help.
Amber. I agree with you. I don’t think they were viewed as terrorist. I think they needed an excuse to make them leave.
They were breaking a law: they were trespassing. The fact that they were ‘given specific permission to dine’ is irrelevant – that permission was rescinded when they started breast-feeding and were asked to leave. The police officer was wrong to engage on the couple on terrorism and breast feeding; the proprietors asked them to leave and they refused – that’s all there ought to have been to it to him.
The law gives permission to breast feed anywhere public or private. Once the country club told the woman to breast feed in the restroom and attempted to stop her from nursing, where she was otherwise a welcome and paying patron, they were breaking the law. They attempted to violate the law which gives clear permission for her to breast feed in public or private.
They aren’t trespassing simply because you don’t want them doing a legally protected activity at your place.
Breastfeeding is protected by law plain and simple.
They weren’t trespassing until the establishment broke a law. I hope they sue the crap out of this country club – as they rightfully could do so, given that there is a law that states they had the RIGHT to feed their child, when that “private establishment” gave them permission to dine. Breastfeeding IS dining.
Americans need to get over the whole body image thing and replace it with a healthy view of the nude body!
WTF????
At restaurants or even public places I am always on guard and feel like I need to have a response ready for someone who is going to comment about me BF. I am always covered, so not sure WHAT they would have to say. BF in public shouldn’t be stressful.
Wow.
So speechless! The ignorance of people! What an embarrassment for NY and this Country. . . It makes you ashamed.
How mortifying. Terrifying for this family and an embarrassment to the US. 🙁
Unfrickin believable. Wtf is wrong with some people.
No kidding! “Common sense is in short supply these days”
ridiculous~!!!