American University Professor Breastfeeds in Class — Did She Cross the Line?
This is a lesson the students won’t forget.
Two weeks ago Adrienne Pine, an assistant anthropology professor at American University, brought her baby to school when she was unable to find someone to take care of her sick infant. During one of Pine’s lectures, she breast-fed her baby in front of 40 students. Now, the single mom is at the center of a serious debate.
Yesterday, the university released a statement that seemed to scold Pine for her actions. According to the Washington Post, university officials said they understood Pine’s dilemma, but felt she should have taken take advantage of options such as, “sick leave, break times, and private areas for nursing mothers to express milk so they can maintain a focus on professional responsibilities in the classroom.” The university also believes she put students, faculty, and staff at risk by bringing in a sick child.
Expecting some backlash for breastfeeding in class, Pine used the opportunity to write “Exposéing My Breasts on the Internet,” an article where Pine vented her frustrations about what she feels to be a “hostile” and “anti-woman” work environment.
While many understand and empathized with Pine’s decision to bring her baby to class, they believe she crossed the line when she decided to breastfeed.
Jake Carias, a sophomore and student of Pine, told the Washington Post that he “wasn’t too distracted” with the presence of a baby, until the breastfeeding occurred.
“I found it unprofessional,” Carias said. “I was kind of appalled.” He later dropped the class.
Do you think Pine took things too far? Do you think this is a matter about breastfeeding in public or benefits for females?
Plus more from The Bump:
Moms’ Tips for Breastfeeding When You’re Back at Work
Moms Unite In Support of Breastfeeding in Public
Breastfeeding Tips for New Moms
The Knot Blog
The Nest Blog
I actually don’t find the breastfeeding bothersome or unprofessional; however, I am concerned about the fact that the child was sick.
I agree. I also find it a little comical that it was an anthropology class and they were upset by breastfeeding.
I think Americans need to stop making this so taboo. Breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world and the best thing you can do for your baby. Women who are breastfeeding are contributing to a better and healthier society. The demands and stress that breastfeeding can put upon mothers is hard enough. The last thing BF’ing moms need (especially single ones) is the judgement of the ignorant and puritanical masses. It makes me sick that students dropped her class. It just illustrates what a sad state this country is in.
Interesting article. Slanted a particular way? (Typo in second sentence.)
I’m all for breastfeeding as a wonderful, natural thing to do. I don’t think women should be ashamed to breastfeed in restaurants, etc. But this crossed a major professional boundary, in my opinion. Major.
Breastfeeding is natural, and a woman’s right…but yes, doing it in the classroom is very unprofessional. There’s a time and a place for everything. For this, it was the wrong place. I’m also a university educator and understand that a simple phone call before class can get someone to cover the class, even if it’s just long enough to feed that baby. She did this on purpose to start a discussion, and draw attention to herself, plain and simple.
Well to feed a baby is a natural thing? Why should someone (we are all from the same specie) should fell uncomfortable with that! The majority of us were fed this way, and we should teach our society this is a natural thing of a human being. If she wasn’t distracted and gave the lecture, why should her students be upset? They were thought and the baby was taken care. Good for her initiative!!!
This should be a non-issue. Why do we still live in a world where feeding your baby is offensive and children aren’t regarded as people? How was this distracting? A baby is least distracting when they are eating because they are quiet and turned away from everyone…
Really? Who cares!? God forbid the baby has to eat! God forbid any body’s baby who has to eat! WTF is wrong with people?! Poor baby! That’s what’s wrong with our society, it’s so anti baby and anti human it’s absolutely absurd!!! How insaine! It’s food people, not some harmful and vile practice that should be shunned like you are comiting a crime!
It was inappropriate. She was working! The same thing would happen to me if I’d bring my infant to a board room meeting. Breastfeeding or not, it’s just inappropriate. Especially since the child is sick.
It isn’t anti-baby. It isn’t anti-human. She wasn’t in a public place like a mall or a park. She was in a business institution and they have every right to say “Leave your sick child at home.” or “Don’t breastfeed while teaching a class.” It’s just common sense.
What I find funny is nobody cared that she brought her sick baby to work with her. I could understand if that’s why people were mad because of health issues. What is upsetting everyone though is that she breastfeed her child. Seriously let’s think about that, people are mad because she feed her child. Was she suppose to let her child cry because they were hungry or step out during the lecture to find somewhere private to nurse? I would think these things would be more distracting than nursing. That’s just my opinion though.
i agree they would of had a problem either way and complained if she left cvlass for 45 minutes to feed
the sick baby at worked bothered me too. Although I have to say, the comment from one of her MALE students that he was appalled? Im pretty sure if he is heterosexual, he oogles Maxim magazine or Victoria Secret models. Im also sure that if he was breastfed, he didn’t mind THEN. People are so ridiculous. Get over it. Breastfeeding is NORMAL. I would have personally called in sick. But I think it’s awesome that she WENT TO WORK and NURSED HER BABY! Very rarely, even in a 2 parent household does the FATHER have to call in sick for his sick children, hence why no one takes women seriously in the work world. You want a good employee who comes to work? A warrior? YOU GOT IT FELLAS! Now deal with her milk laiden breasts and her baby nursing from them! We are all mammals, get over it!
Work*
I think this just shows how far from nature we’ve gotten. The student was “appalled”? He was appalled because he, like most men and women, have been taught that breasts are for pleasure and not to sustain the human species. As a society we need to go back to our roots and re-educate ourselves about breastfeeding. It’s appalling that a woman can not feed her child in public. The only difference between nursing and bottle feeding is the source of the nutrients.
agreed!!! the hypersexualization of women contribute to this stupid way of thinking about breast feeding!
I don’t get what the big deal is. Would they have been upset if she was feeding the baby with a bottle? The baby needed to eat. People need to get over it!
It’s not that she was breastfeeding that bothers me. It’s that she was doing it on company time, not to mention bringing a sick (and possibly contagious) child who was obviously old enough to be mobile into a classroom (her place of work). The breastfeeding wasn’t the major distraction. The fact that there was a cranky sick child moving around the room while students (who pay a great deal of money to be there) are trying to learn was what was distracting.
So no one really cared that the baby was in class and I doubt anyone would have objected if she pulled out a bottle instead of a boob. Seems to me that it should not have been that big of a deal as long as she was modest and the baby couldn’t wait. Nursing is often the best soother of an infant with something as simple as a cold. SO feeding the baby would have been a very appropriate thing for her to do. Women have boobs and they have a purpose, get over it.
In my opinion, this is wrong for many different reasons. For one, why on Earth bring a sick baby to your place of work? How can you expect to get any work done while caring for a sick infant, not to mention it’s not a great idea to expose others to the illness. Secondly, if you absolutely must bring a baby to work, why not bottle feed? Or, like was mentioned in the article, take advantage of private places to breast feed. And finally, it’s just plain awkward, it doesn’t matter how “natural” breastfeeding is. Having a bowl movement is perfectly natural, too, but we don’t just drop trow and do it wherever we please.
I personally don’t have a problem with it… I went to college and wouldn’t have been bothered by it at all, sick child or not. Yeah you are paying for the education, but if she had called in then there would have been no education to be had. As far as doing it on company time, had she gone to a “nursing/expressing” location that is on company time also. I think that people need to realize that in today’s society we women have to do what we have to do to make a living, single or married. We are responsible for taking care of our children first and foremost. This professor wanted to extend her knowledge to her class. She would not have brought the child to the class if she thought it would have put them at risk. I think that it’s really sad that this is even an issue.
Did she cross a professional boundary, yes. But, I think this situation calls for compassion and empathy and not judgment. I feel bad for her. What mother wants to drag their sick infant to a dirty school campus? My guess is that since she is a single mother, she did not have much choice in the matter. Also, a sick baby means she probably isn’t getting much sleep-therefore the bad judgment call to bf in front of a class. I am just saying, more compassion should be given and not mean attitudes like being appalled. The world is becoming increasingly intolerant on a daily basis.
I really do not understand why she felt that she had to continue with the lecture while the baby is nursing. She could have made a slight adjustment to the syllabus to take a small break and the nurse her baby while her students were otherwise occupied. I am a full time student and have been nursing my baby since she was born (she’s 13 months old).
First, if there is a father in the picture, why didn’t he step up to tend to the sick child? Second, sick children are typically not allowed in daycare due to exposing others to their illness. So, why then is it okay to expose the paying college students?
It appears obvious to me the child did not belong in the classroom, just by the fact it wasn’t childproof (paper clip in child’s mouth and being moved away from unprotected electrical outlets).
Opinion: Stay home with your sick child, where they can be comforted and safe. The issue is not as much about breast feeding in the classroom, as it is making your family a priority!
i think the fact the class was about human beings and the way we operate in general was the reason she felt it was okay. why take a class and be”appalled” by the subject matter you paid for the class but dropped it because you professor fed her child? breast feeding is not SEXUAL!!!! i hate that people make a big deal about it, the way breast feeding moms are treated is just plain horrible and wrong
It’s not a big deal .. It’s something that she has to do