XP: Tentative settlement in TSA/breastmilk lawsuit

[redheadbaker]

losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/04/22/tsa-settles-breast-milk-lawsuit-agrees-to-clarify-internal-procedures/

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The United States Transportation Security Administration has reached a tentative settlement in the highly publicized lawsuit filed by a mother who was allegedly harassed by TSA officers when she requested her breast milk not be x-rayed, authorities announced Tuesday.

The TSA again apologizes to Stacey Armato for the incident that took place at the Phoenix Airport on Jan. 25, 2010 and also agreed to clarify its internal procedures for screening breast milk in the tentative deal.

“We brought this lawsuit for one reason — to bring clarity and policy change for breastfeeding mothers traveling with breast milk,” Armato said. “Hopefully what I experienced at the Phoenix Airport in 2010 will never happen to another mother traveling with her breast milk.”

TSA is expected to update its public website to better guide breastfeeding mothers traveling with breast milk and train its screening officers on the new policies if the agreement is finalized.

During the 2010 incident, Armato, who travels weekly from Los Angeles to Phoenix for work, claims she was held by the TSA for over 40 minutes while they “researched” their own policy and urged her to simply dump her breast milk if she did not want it to be x-rayed.

She later lodged a complaint through the TSA website, and in response was told to print out a copy of the TSA breast milk guidelines and hand it directly to the screening officers the next time she flew.

The following week, Armato came into contact with the same officers, who refused to look at the guidelines. They then reportedly harassed her for an hour, placed her in a glass enclosure, called the Phoenix police, patted her down and finally refused to screen the milk claiming the bottles were “too full.” She subsequently missed her flight.

“I was sobbing, crying, and thinking desperately for another solution,” Armato, who later posted video from the incident on YouTube, told KCAL9′s Jeff Nguyen.

“My only options were to put it through the x-ray or put it in the trash,” she said.

The sides reached a tentative agreement last Friday.

Attorney Robert Mosier said he took the case after a number of other lawyers turned her down.

“I am so incredibly proud of Stacey Armato,” Mosier said. “To stand up like she did and take on the TSA so breastfeeding mothers would have a voice and be free from harassment took real guts and fortitude. Stacey stood up for what she believed, made the government listen and change its policies — it is a true David vs. Goliath story. It has been a difficult journey for her for well over two years.”

The TSA would not comment on the tentative settlement when contacted by KCAL9.

A spokesperson instead released the following statement: “When carrying breast milk through security checkpoints it is treated in the same manner as liquid medication.”

The government still has 30 days to file for a dismissal of the settlement, which includes $75,000.

Armato says she’ll see very little of the money, which will go towards attorney fees. She also plans to donate a portion to BreastfeedLA, a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation dedicated to improving the health and well being of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding.

[Cowbells]

This is great! I fly pretty regularly for work, and traveling with my pump and BM was so anxiety inducing for me. Luckily for me the only airport that ever gave me even a second glance was my home airport, which is very small. I found that for the most part TSA was very helpful when I was traveling with BM, and I usually even got some kind words from some of the TSA agents that were very encouraging when I thought giving up BF would have been much easier than traveling with a pump.

[Deleted]

WTH is wrong with the TSA that they can train their people on this? I mean, if they have a policy, shouldn't it be clear to the people or at least the managers who work at screening locations? Good for this woman!

[chickens987]

why should it not go through x-ray? Clearly I didn't research this enough when I was pumping, but I put mine through...

[shell24]

Apr 24, 2014 10:23:33 GMT -5 chickens987 said:

why should it not go through x-ray? Clearly I didn't research this enough when I was pumping, but I put mine through...

I'm guessing she didn't want it exposed to radiation? I've travelled with my infants and breast milk and didn't think twice about it...that might explain a few things!

[mpc]

Apr 24, 2014 10:23:33 GMT -5 chickens987 said:

why should it not go through x-ray? Clearly I didn't research this enough when I was pumping, but I put mine through...

I have the same question I guess. I always put mine on the belt with everything else.

It is annoying that ever airport seems to have a different policy. Some barely glanced at my 50+ oz. Another made me do a full body pat down. And then another one put each individual bag in a a machine to test them. They got through about half before the machine showed an unacceptable response - the guy kind of scratched his head,  then just gave it all back to me and told me I was good to go. They don't even know what they are checking it for apparently.

[Deleted]

Apr 25, 2014 11:17:45 GMT -5 @ojo said:

Apr 24, 2014 10:20:00 GMT -5 flygirl said:

WTH is wrong with the TSA that they can train their people on this? I mean, if they have a policy, shouldn't it be clear to the people or at least the managers who work at screening locations? Good for this woman!

There are so many policies for any business or government entity that I don't expect them to know everything off the top of their head, but it's absolutely unacceptable that none of those employees attempted to look up the appropriate policy, nor would they comply with the policy when they finally did read the copy the woman brought along with her.  

After watching the surveillance video, I don't think $75,000 is enough.  www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYWR41CNrKk

This should be a basic policy that someone should know, especially a supervisor in charge. Or at least have someone on stand by who can answer it the same for ALL TSA locations.