CARMEL, Calif -- Fired for having to breast-feed her newborn baby.
That's what one central coast woman claims.
And now that woman is suing, not just the Child Development Center where she worked, but also the Carmel Unified School District.
Sarah Boyle said she was working at the Carmelo Child Development Center when she asked to pump milk from her breasts for her newborn baby for 15-20 minutes a day.
She said when the district didn't accommodate her, that's when she filed the lawsuit.
In it, Boyle claims she and the district got in a fight in September of last year when she said she would need to pump her breasts between 9 and 11 a.m. each day.
Boyle said her manager told her to start training her breasts not to make milk during a six-hour period, so she wouldn't have to pump.
The district declined to speak on camera but released this statement: "The Carmel Unified School District has a longstanding practice of providing lactation accommodations for employees, of which the district is very proud. The district recognizes the immediate and long-term heath advantages of breastfeeding for infants and mothers and provides a supportive environment for expressing milk while at work. Over the years, dozens of employees have requested and been granted these accommodations. To our knowledge, no one has ever been denied. Out of respect for the former employee's privacy and due process rights, the district will not discuss any of the reasons for letting her go as an employee."
Elizabeth Olney works for Parents Place at Pacific Grove Education School and counsels moms breastfeeding.
She said a new mom needs to pump numerous times a day if she isn't feeding.
"A typical newborn needs to nurse about 10 to 12 times in 24 hours, which if you look at the clock that's almost every two hours," she said.
If not, she said there are consequences.
"If she isn't able to do that pumping, she isn't able to keep up her milk supply. It can also be very uncomfortable for her because then she fills up," she said.
Boyle's attorney said her client didn't want to talk but said she has been anxious and emotionally distressed.
She is suing for wrongful termination and discrimination.
