SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — A Sand Springs mother experienced an uncomfortable situation at the Tulsa State Fair when she a vendor kicked her out of their booth after breastfeeding her baby.
Leigh Miller said while waiting to be helped by a worker at the booth she sat on a chair she was thinking about buying and started breastfeeding.
She said a worker immediately came by and told her to leave.
Miller walked over to guest services for help, "They were a little confused, they said they didn't know of any place for me to nurse my baby. They were really sweet and offered me space behind a curtain, it was just on the floor."
Miller said it felt weird to have to be covered up behind the curtain, and she felt like her baby could have been more comfortable.
"My daughter is very distracted when she's eating, so ideally, if I had been someplace quiet with no distractions, she would have nursed the best," she said.
Once she got home, she sent an email to the fair about her experience.
She received this email in response:
Vice President of the Tulsa State Fair, Amanda Blair, said nursing mothers are not just limited to family restrooms. She said the fair has no restrictions on its public spaces when it comes to breastfeeding.
"We do follow all of the Oklahoma laws and it is Oklahoma law that any mother can feed their child wherever," she said.
As a mother, Blair said it is important to her that mothers are comfortable while feeding their babies.
2 News reached out to Jack Wills on Oct. 1st but did not hear back. On October 3rd the company sent this statement:
“The family was immediately approached for help and asked if they needed any help. They stayed for nearly 45 minutes. They were approached a second time, about 35 minutes in, asking if they needed any assistance. They said they were fine. The furniture they were sitting in already had interested buyers, so we asked her to move. We are approached many times throughout the day, and we accommodate the mother and baby. We move them to a more private place inside our booth. We are very respectful of family needs, but the mother never asked us to breastfeed on our furniture. This story was not an accurate reflection of who we are as a business."
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