Breastfeeding North Dakota mom says Chick-fil-A asked her to cover up or leave
North Dakota mom Macy Hornung was so angry about what happened to her at the new Chick-fil-A in Fargo over the weekend that she took her beef to Facebook.
There, she accused the owner of kicking her out because she wouldn’t cover herself while breastfeeding her baby.
The owner has now apologized for how the situation was handled.
On Saturday, Hornung wrote that she was breastfeeding her 7-month-old daughter, Ziggy, at a table during the new restaurant’s soft opening when the owner walked over.
“I was showing no more than the upper portion of my breast, barely more than what was visible in my shirt and (the owner) asked me to cover,” she wrote.
“I tried to explain that I couldn’t, because my baby refuses to be covered and she started harping about the children and men who can see my indecency and I need to cover.
“I said they could practice the simple art of looking away and tried to cite North Dakota breastfeeding laws. She told me if I chose not to cover, then she would have to ask me to leave, so I told her my review would reflect my experience and I would be relaying the experience in every local mommy group.”
North Dakota lawmakers passed legislation in 2009 to “protect a woman’s right to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, where the woman and child are otherwise authorized to be,” according to the state health department’s website.
“They had no problem with me feeding her French fries,” Hornung told WDAY in Fargo. “So why is it such a problem that I’m feeding her from my breast?”
Hornung’s post, which has attracted more than 800 comments, has kicked up a hornet’s nest of divided public opinion. It quickly made the rounds in mommy circles, inciting anger and ill will toward Chick-fil-A.
“Popeye’s and Bojangles have better chicken, but only Chik-Fil-A can serve you a meal with a side of righteous indignation,” wrote one woman on Hornung’s Facebook page.
“As a member on the board of The Florida West Coast Breastfeeding Task Force, you have our full support here in central Florida,” wrote another woman.
“Thank you for putting your baby first and thank you for being a role model for all breastfeeding moms. This will not go unnoticed and I am very proud to know women like you are brave enough to stand their ground and do what is right.”
But people are angry with Hornung, too, some saying she should have covered herself. One man who commented on her Facebook page told her to “cover up and don’t make a damn scene about it.”
“I do agree with having a little bit of modesty! Is it really that hard?,” wrote one mom. “I breastfed my son and didn't stay home all the time but I didn't show all either for the simple fact that it was a private bond between him and I which I didn't care for everyone to be apart it! Not a group act here! Only between you and your child.”
On Sunday, Kimberly Flamm, the owner and operator of the new Chick-fil-A, published an apology on the franchise's Facebook page.
“I would like to publicly apologize to Macy Hornung for the way I handled the situation on Saturday,” Flamm wrote.
“I ask for your forgiveness on this matter as I learn from it. My goal is to provide a warm and welcoming environment for all of my guests.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 11:22 AM with the headline "Breastfeeding North Dakota mom says Chick-fil-A asked her to cover up or leave."