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Security company apologizes after mom discouraged from breastfeeding in Vernon mall

VERNON – A security company has apologized after one of their guards discouraged a woman from breastfeeding her baby in a Vernon mall this week.

On Wednesday Megan Deuling was breastfeeding her four-month-old son in the foodcourt at the Village Green Centre.

“I noticed one lady…was giving me some dirty looks and once she finished her meal she got up and went and talked to a security guard,” says Deuling.

“The security guard approached me. [He] couldn’t even look me in the eye, he just said ‘ma’am there is a time and place for these sorts of things.’ I asked him if he would rather a screaming baby. He said ‘well that is why you give him a bottle,’ and he just kind of started mumbling about how inappropriate it was.”

Deuling says she was shocked.

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“I felt so insulted and disrespected. I couldn’t believe anybody would say that,” she says.

READ MORE: Feed-in for breastfeeding at West Kelowna council meeting

Concord Security Corporation has now apologized.

“Under absolutely no circumstances do we condone or agree with [the guard’s] misguided statements that she should not be breastfeeding her child in public,” wrote regional manager Ian Papa in an open letter.

“The guard has been temporarily relived of his duties until such time that he has received additional sensitivity training and has undergone an evaluation on public relations conduct.”

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Meanwhile, in a written statement, a spokesperson for the mall said the way the complaint was handled “was not appropriate.”

“The response to this situation did not reflect our policies and the contracted employee (Concord Security) involved is already scheduled for educational training.”

Deuling is pleased with the response she received from the companies.

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“They owned up for what had happened and I think they are taking the necessary steps to educate the security guard,” she says.

Deuling, other moms and their supporters are now planning a feed-in at the mall on Saturday.

Concord Security Apologizes

Village Green Centre Responds

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