Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OREM, Utah (AP) -- An apology from Burger King was a little bland for one Utah family's taste.
Catherine and Michael Geary feel an apology issued in a prepared release from the fast-foot giant does not make up for sending an employee to tell Catherine Geary to nurse her child in the restroom instead of the dining room of a suburban Salt Lake City restaurant.
The Gearys sent a letter to the Burger King Corp. on Wednesday, saying they are frustrated with the company's issuance of a "blanket apology," which "might just as well be apologizing to the patron who complained about the breast-feeding, or even a patron at the drive-through whose order may have been delayed due to the drive-through employee being sent to talk to us."
The Gearys also said Burger King got the date wrong. It was Nov. 8, not the 10th as suggested in the apology, that a female employee of a Burger King in Sandy asked Geary to use the restaurant's bathroom to finish nursing, the family said.
"As the restroom in the facility is made up of two walls, a sink and an air hand dryer, it did not seem a suitable place to nurse a child," the letter said. "We feel that the only real option given to us was to leave the restaurant."
Burger King has said the employee was acting on a customer complaint.
Michael Geary told the Deseret Morning News he'd like to see Burger King clarify where it stands on mothers nursing in restaurants.
"If they don't want mothers nursing in their restaurants, well, I think that's something that ought to be made public so that consumers can respond with their patronage, or lack of patronage," Geary said.
The Gearys want a specific policy for or against breast-feeding from Burger King and a section in the employee manual explaining how to appropriately and discreetly handle similar situations.
"We have asked for nothing more than an apology for the way that Catherine and our family were treated . . . and are disappointed by their response to this date," added the Gearys, who said they may "escalate" the issue if the fast-food company doesn't comply with their requests.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
