Woman sues Walker Arts Center after being told she could not breastfeed
The Walker Art Center is one of the most visited galleries in the United States and has been central to Minneapolis and Minnesota’s culture since it opened in 1927. Despite being a bastion of contemporary art, it now finds itself in a legal dispute after a woman alleged she was told she could not breastfeed on the premises.
The woman, Megan Mzenga, has filed a lawsuit against Walker after a male staff member prevented her from breastfeeding in one of the museum’s galleries.
The lawsuit was first reported by the local outlet KARE, and has since been obtained by Artnet News. It was filed in the Hennepin County District Court on May 9th, with Mzenga alleging that Walker violated her civil rights under state law.
In the suit, Mzenga states the incident happened on March 2nd, when she visited Walker with her family, including her eight-month-old daughter and three-year-old son, to participate in the “family day” of activities that the museum holds monthly.
Shortly after arriving at the Walker, Mzenga noticed that her daughter needed feeding, so she sat in a gallery to start. However, a male staff member allegedly told her: “You can’t do that here.” According to the lawsuit, he informed her he would arrange an escort and used his walkie-talkie to organise her removal. At the time, Mzenga’s husband was with their son in another part of the museum.
To avoid the stress of a physical ejection, Mzenga left the gallery on her own accord “in a state of confusion and embarrassment,” her lawyers note in the lawsuit. “Mzenga, a breastfeeding mother, believed that the Walker would be a great place to go with her young children since, in part, the museum’s breastfeeding policy clearly states that mothers ‘are free to nurse children wherever feels most comfortable”.
“She felt extremely embarrassed and like she was doing something wrong. But most significantly, Ms. Mzenga felt a deep sense that she was not welcome and did not ‘belong’ at the Walker because she is a breastfeeding mother,” they continue.
Before exiting the premises, Mzenga hurriedly finished feeding her daughter and enquired about the museum’s breastfeeding policy with another staff member. They weren’t sure about it, so they asked her to leave a comment card. Later, Walker’s manager of visitor and gallery operations chased it up and informed Mzenga she was “in the right.”
Regardless of her discussion with the manager, Mzenga believes that her treatment qualifies as a violation of the Minnesota Human Rights Act. According to the state’s website, “It is one of the strongest civil rights laws in the country.” The bill rules that it is unfair and discriminatory to deny a person the enjoyment of services because of their sex. Mzenga states the alleged discrimination was done with “malice”.
In response, a spokesperson for the Walker said they cannot yet comment on the minutiae of the lawsuit, but maintained that visitors are encouraged and more than welcome to breastfeed wherever they feel most comfortable on the premises, “including the galleries.” Additionally, those who want privacy can use the family-friendly room, which includes a bathroom on the ninth floor. However, bottle feeding is not allowed in the galleries under the food and beverage policy.
The Walker is not the first museum to face criticism for their policies regardings maternal support. In 2019, curator Nikki Columbus settled a claim with New York’s MoMA PS1 in which she had accused them of gender, pregnancy and caregiver discrimination after she claimed they revoked a job offer when they realised they had recently had a baby.
Under Minnesotan law, mothers are permitted to breastfeed in any location “irrespective of whether the nipple of the mother’s breast is uncovered during or incidental to the breastfeeding.”
This is a developing story.
