A mum has gone public with a letter she received from a school principal asking her to stop ‘exposing’ herself while breastfeeding her baby.
 
Mum-of-two Andrea Scannell from Utah in the US, said she wanted to share her story as this kind of “bullying” prevents other mums from feeding their babies in public.
 
The mum helps out at Mount Logan Middle School's lunch program, which her son attends, and she said she will usually breastfeed her young daughter while there because of the timing.
 
Last week, she was given a letter by a school staff member and told to read it immediately.
 
The letter said the school had received 'concern from multiple patrons' at the lunch program.
 
“The concern is with the exposed breastfeeding of your baby,” the letter said.
 
“As a public school, we have children of all ages attending the lunch program...We also have numerous adults who share a wide variety of personal views and views on raising their own children,” it read.
 
The letter was signed by Mount Logan Middle School principal, Michael E. Monson.
 
Logan City School District Superintendent Marshal Garrett said the letter was to explain the situation to Mrs Scannell.
 
“It was an intent not to stop anyone from breastfeeding, any mothers coming in, that has never been our intent,” he said. “The intent was to just allow for all to feel welcome at our summer lunch program.”
 
In Utah, woman are not required to cover up while breastfeeding in public under state law.
 
The letter has gone viral and has sparked a massive online discussion about breastfeeding in public.
 
Andrea said that while she doesn't use a blanket while feeding, she makes sure she is always covered.
 
She said, “This kind of shaming, this kind of bullying, prevents other breastfeeding women from going out in public, and from feeding their babies.”
 
The mum said she wasn’t looking for any kind of apology from the school, but just wanted to share her story with other mums.
 
She added, “This is still very much an issue, and it doesn’t need to be one.”
 

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