KFC to Pay Former Employee $1.5 Million in Breastfeeding Lawsuit

KFC has been ordered to pay a former female employee punitive damages of $1.5 million for their lack of support for the woman pumping her breastmilk at work. A jury decided in favor of the former Delaware employee, Autumn Lampkins, who was also paid $25,000 in compensatory damages.

She alleged that after being hired by the franchise shortly after giving birth in 2014, she was only allowed to pump her milk once during a 10-hour training shift. She also claimed she was demoted because she wanted to pump her milk and that the franchise made her pumping difficult to the point that her milk supply dried up.

The Realist Woman’s take:

What is wrong with people? Women breastfeed. They work outside the home. They need to pump. Why is that hard to understand? Their lack of support for this woman made her milk supply dry up! How awful for her to have gone through that. Breastfeeding and pumping is hard work. I’m so glad she took them to court. She deserves every dime of what she asked for.

KFC essentially threatened her baby’s food supply. Businesses need to come to terms with the fact that women have babies and babies need milk. Support your employees and they won’t sue you for a million dollars, which most likely you’re going to have to pay.