Moms protest Seven Peaks "no breastfeeding" policy

Updated: 6/16/2012 7:59 pm | Published: 6/16/2012 7:36 pm

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - A mom says she was told to stop breastfeeding her baby at Seven Peaks Water Park in Salt Lake City. Now she's taking her fight to Facebook and the media, claiming the water park's policy against breastfeeding is unfair and even discriminatory.

Katie Buhler was approached by a Seven Peaks female lifeguard while she was breastfeeding her seven month old son. Buhler argues that she was not exposing her breast, but instead was discreetly nursing her child under a blanket. "I was so caught off guard, I didn't even know how to respond to it. That's why I ripped my blanket off and said I'm not nursing him," says Buhler.

Katie decided to stay at the pool despite the reprimand, but later she called and spoke to a water park manager.
"She told me that it's their policy and I said why, and she said this is a family friendly enviornment and we want to keep it that way," says Buhler.

According to Buhler, the Seven Peaks manager told her the options were to either leave the park, or to breastfeed her baby in one of their bathrooms. Buhler says both options are unfair and unrealistic. The mom of three kids goes on to say the water park bathrooms are unsanitary for the purposes of breastfeeding. "Water is all over the floor, there's no nursing room, nothing...so if they want me to go the bathroom, then they need to fix that."

Buhler and her husband Calvin took their fight online and soon received hundreds of supportive responses on their Facebook page. Within a day, they were able to organize a group to protest the issue. On Saturday, around 15 moms and their babies gathered outside Seven Peaks in Salt Lake to further their cause. The moms who came say they are outraged over the breastfeeding policy. "If they don't want nursing mothers exposed to the public, then they need to provide a quiet place for mothers to nurse," says Carol Buffi, a licensed clinical social worker and Buhler family friend.

ABC 4 tried to contact Seven Peaks management about their policy, but have still not heard back from them. In the meantime, Buhler says unless management changes the policy, she will refuse to swim at Seven Peaks.

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derekhilden - 7/10/2012 1:54 PM

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Thank you very much for your interesting text. I have been looking for such content for a very long time. Not everything is fully clear to me, but it is definitely interesting and worth reading. www.newbreastfeeding.com

Sondra Shannon - 6/18/2012 8:26 PM

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I consider myself a Lactivist that also happens to work with Seven Peaks often as a vendor. I think it is important for women to be able to breastfeed in public and I have breastfeed during meetings with the senior management of Seven Peaks and I was never made to feel anything but comfortable doing so. Not only did they welcome me bringing my new baby on engagements but they’ve always made me feel comfortable while nursing my babies (that’s right, I have had two children while working with them). I think perhaps some people are having a knee-jerk reaction here because of the bad judgment of one of their younger employees when my personal experience as a breastfeeding mother with the Seven Peaks owners and mgmt. has been truly great. I am not sure that the media is getting both sides to this story and I’d hate to see a great Utah business suffer due to hype. I am happy and proud to speak publicly about the support I’ve received from Seven Peaks as a lactating mother. Thanks!

Khyraen - 6/18/2012 8:18 PM

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Well, since the government has all kinds of anti-discrimination laws, like you cannot refuse to do business on the basis of race, then I think what you are looking at is a discrimination issue. Babies have to eat. Prohibiting them from eating is denying them their basic rights. While government requirements often cost businesses, this particular one has absolutely no financial requirement of the business, unlike laws for the disabled, for example. No business can discriminate against a woman for breast feeding (a biological norm, not a life-style choice), or an infant who wishes to feed, than they can against a kid in a wheelchair or an African American. This is an equal rights/human rights issue. Nursing is normal--it's just eating

RSLfan76 - 6/17/2012 8:09 PM

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Makeitsew, you are incorrect! Another situation happened a couple years ago that is similar. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/525037306/Breast-feeding-mom-has-law-on-her-side.html?pg=all There are multiple sections of the law..Utah Code Ann. § 10-8-41, § 10-8-50, § 17-15-25, § 76-9-702, § 76-10-1229.5, (2) (a) A woman’s breast feeding, including breast feeding in any place where the woman otherwise may rightfully be, does not under any circumstance constitute an obscene or lewd act, irrespective of whether or not the breast is covered during or incidental to feeding. (b) Boards of Commissioners and City Councils of Cities may not prohibit a woman’s breast feeding in any location where she otherwise may rightfully be, irrespective of whether the breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding. 10-8-50. Disturbing the peace — Public intoxication — Fighting — Obscene language — Disorderly conduct — Lewd behavior — Interference with officers — Trespass. (3) (a) A woman’s breast feeding, including breast feeding in any place where the woman otherwise may rightfully be, does not under any circumstance constitute a lewd or indecent act, irrespective of whether or not the breast is covered during or incidental to feeding. (b) Boards of Commissioners and City Councils of Cities may not prohibit a woman’s breast feeding in any location where she otherwise may rightfully be, irrespective of whether the breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding. 17-15-25. Right to Breast Feed. The County Legislative Bodies may not prohibit a woman’s breast feeding in any location where she otherwise may rightfully be, irrespective of whether the breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding. 76-9-702. Lewdness — Gross lewdness. (5) A woman’s breast feeding, including breast feeding in any place where the woman otherwise may rightfully be, does not under any circumstance constitute a lewd or grossly lewd act,

bobaganoosh - 6/17/2012 10:21 AM

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As I do appreciate reading the apology from seven peaks I do not feel as though the situation has been taken care of - first off posting an apology here as a comment is not going to solve the problem - in all honesty how many people have read the story here and are going to come back to see the apology at the bottom. Seven Peaks needs to step up and contact ABC4 and make an official statement. Also something needs to be done to compensate Katie. She was humiliated - and Seven Peaks needs to find out who it was who was saying these things. Obviously Seven Peaks has become too large of a corporation that after 19 days of being the job their people still don't know what they are doing. There needs to be more intense job training about policies and procedures before a manager can start working not just playing it by ear. The fact that so many people have now called and asked about the situation and have gotten mixed reviews and told that the policy has just changed to allow breast feeding it is just a joke. A formal statement needs to be made not just something being typed. I feel as though they are just trying to avoid the negative coverage especially since they can't figure out who it was who started this whole mess. They need to come out and make a formal apology to all mom's out there as well as to Katie.

Seven Peaks - 6/17/2012 9:31 AM

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As an authorized member of senior management at Seven Peaks, I would like to issue an official and sincere apology to the mother(s) affectd by the incorrect information conveyed in this isolated incident by a member of our valued seasonal staff and a seasonal department manager. Seven Peaks has never had a policy against breast feeding. Senior management was only made aware of the misinformation through posts on our Facebook page. Once made aware of the misinformation, senior management immediately communicated the official policy on breast feeding to the staff and to those affected by the misinformation, which is that we do NOT have a policy against breast feeding. We have attempted to answer questions and concerns openly and transparently conveying our sincere apologies for the misinformation at our Facebook page as well as in person in our offices and over the phone. Our offices are open Monday through Saturday from 9:30am to 8:00pm. We continue to invite concerned mothers, news organizations, and other interested parties to call or visit us in our offices at the park at any time during these broad business hours to discuss the matter further. Please accept our sincere apology for the negative impact of this isolated incident.

Seven Peaks - 6/17/2012 9:12 AM

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Test

Makeitsew - 6/17/2012 8:27 AM

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Maybe you should re-read what you posted on the State Law. It says "The county legislative body may not prohibit..." It does NOT prohibit a private business from prohibiting breast feeding on their property. A private business should have the right to adopt whatever policies they believe is appropriate for their business. The government needs to stay out of private businesses. If you don't like a private business' policies, don't patronize their business.

meggiehe - 6/17/2012 12:26 AM

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Maybe Seven Peaks needs to review Utah State Law. Utah Code Title 17 Chapter 15 Section 25 states,"The county legislative body may not prohibit a woman's breast feeding in any location where she otherwise may rightfully be, irrespective of whether the breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breast feeding." This applies to private property as well. If the county may not prohibit it, Seven Peaks certainly isn't allowed to either. Considering all of the great press Seven Peaks just got for their lifeguard saving the 6 year old's life, you'd think they'd want to capitalize on that, apologize, and re-camp their out-dated, discriminatory policy before getting slapped with a lawsuit.

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