I’m going to sue, says mum kicked out of a theatre for breastfeeding
A SINGLE mother was thrown out of a West End show while breastfeeding her daughter just ten minutes into the production.
Sam Lucas, 33, had been enjoying American Idiot the Musical in Leicester Square with her ten-month-old daughter Nixie and sister Jackie, 32.
But when she started to breastfeed, they were asked to leave the Arts Theatre during last month’s matinee.
Now Sam, who described the experience as the ‘worst in her life’, plans to sue the theatre for discrimination.
The Sydney-born sisters had booked tickets with the hope of seeing singer Newton Faulkner, who had the starring role in the 14 age restricted show.
Despite being less than a year old, little Nixie had already attended concerts with the help of ear defenders.
Miss Lucas, a former PA who lives in Teddington, south-west London, said: ‘I chose the seats on the aisle so that if Nixie did need a nappy change I could sneak out without disturbing anyone.’
Nixie needed a feed and so the mother began breastfeeding discreetly below her top. Miss Lucas said: ‘They had just finished the first song, American Idiot, and Nixie had been fine, bopping along. After the song ended, about ten minutes in, she was due a feed. I had a top on and put her under the top.’
But as Nixie began to settle, an assistant manager told the women they would have to leave.
Miss Lucas added: ‘I was in complete shock. One minute I was watching the show and breastfeeding and the next this man came up from behind me. He said we had to leave because there had been another member of the audience who had complained that my child was being distracting... I felt humiliated, embarrassed and I just couldn’t comprehend what had happened.’
When she got home, she took to the theatre’s Facebook page, writing: ‘I feel treatment by the staff was out of line and discriminatory towards me and my child.’
Other mothers rallied around her, claiming the treatment was illegal.
Finally the theatre’s executive director of arts, Louis Hartshorn, replied saying he would like to meet her to discuss what had happened and stressed that the theatre was very supportive of breastfeeding.
Since the experience on July 31, Miss Lucas claims she has yet to receive a proper explanation, apology or refund. She is now in contact with solicitors and says she will sue if she has to.
She added: ‘We are serious about this and we will sue if we have to.
‘The fact that breastfeeding rates are so low in this country is probably down to incidents such as these, in which women are made to feel embarrassed and ashamed.’