HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. – A North Carolina woman says she was "terrified" when a judge told her to cover her breastfeeding or leave his courtroom.
Twenty-five-year-old Stephanie Rhodus of Forest City said she was trying to breastfeed her 8-month-old son, Archer, Monday during a child custody case involving another child when the judge gave the order.
A recording obtained by local media shows District Court Judge Peter Knight told the woman it was ridiculous that she didn't realize she needed to be covered.
North Carolina law allows breastfeeding anywhere a woman can be.
Knight said later in an email to The Washington Post that he routinely accommodates women who are nursing as they wait for a case. But he said once the case begins, they should follow the rules of procedure, decorum and dress.
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