Seattle mom told to cover up while breastfeeding at U-Village restaurant

SEATTLE — The general manager at a restaurant at Seattle's University Village is apologizing to a mother after one of its employees told a breastfeeding mother to cover up.

"There shouldn't be a stigma about breastfeeding," mother Lauren Hernandez said.

Hernandez was having lunch at Piatti Sunday afternoon.

She was with her 9-month-old son, Bob, who started getting fussy.

"While I was nursing him, the hostess came up to me and told me to cover up because people had complained," Hernandez said. "And I told her 'I think it's illegal for you to tell me to cover up' and she said 'No, we just had training on it.'"

Rather than make a scene, Hernandez decided to leave.

"I was surprised she told me to cover up," Hernandez added. "I was wearing a MOBY wrap and a T-shirt. I was pretty covered up."

In Washington state, women are allowed to breastfeed in public.

The city of Seattle specifically makes it illegal to ask nursing moms to stop, cover up or move to a different location.

Piatti has apologized and said the employee was misinformed.

On its Facebook page, general manager Erin Flynn-Renner wrote:

"We wanted to make it clear that we do not have a policy against breastfeeding here at Piatti Seattle and never did. One of our employees did not handle a situation with a guest properly yesterday which left the guest feeling unwelcome in our restaurant and for that we sincerely apologize."

Flynn-Renner said she will be speaking with the employee about the incident.

Hernandez said she hopes her story prompts all businesses to educate their workers on the rights of breastfeeding mothers.

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