Imagine you're a new mother who has just gone back to work but are still breastfeeding. So you have to lug your breast pump around. You have to take frequent breaks in order to pump, and you schedule your calls and meetings around your breaks. You have to find a private place to do it where your co-workers won't gripe -- the bathroom, maybe, or even a closet. If you're lucky, very lucky, you have a private office where you can retreat to pump in peace. One Pennsylvania woman who worked at DeSales University was lucky enough to have that. But she was unlucky enough to have John Bednarik as a co-worker. Because Bednarik apparently liked to videotape the new mom as she breast pumped.
Police arrested Bednarik, who worked as a facilities director at the college, after the 32-year-old woman, identified only as "C.S.," entered her office in order to breast pump. Sitting at her desk with her shirt up and her breasts exposed, the woman noticed a small hole in the ceiling above her desk. When she examined the hole, she saw every woman's worst nightmare staring back at her -- a camera lens. She apparently quickly dressed and ran out of the office, only to see Bednarik exiting the office right next to her. She called the cops.
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Reports say that Bednarik admitted to setting up the camera so he could watch his co-worker breast pump "for the purpose of sexual arousal and gratification." Breast pumping? Sexual arousal? This guy has major ISSUES.
And this poor woman. As if she doesn't have enough to worry about, being a new mom, being back at work and away from her baby. Then she's back into the groove with coworkers, and trying to make sure that she's still being taken seriously as a employee while breast pumping. Now she has to not only worry about a creepy coworker, but for how long he'd been videotaping her, and what he might have done with whatever film he's got. Was he putting it online? Since he's out on bail, will he be back at work with her? And, worst of all, might some coworkers look at HER as the one who instigated things since she was pumping at work? Who knows. There are some crazy people out there. Hopefully she has supportive employers and coworkers.
Do you breast pump at work? Any misgivings?
Image via zigazou76/ Flickr
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Comments 22
While I understand there are people who have a breast feeding fetish,what this guy did was wrong. Now women will have to use nursing blankets when they pump just to protect themselves from being video taped. *smh*
what a weirdo!
I just stopped pumping last week @ work after 8 1/2 months. I used a supply closet in HR. They put a sign on the door that said, "Room in Use." That still didn't stop people from trying to walk in on several occasions only to be greeted by my screams!
I can't imagine anyone blaming her for going into a private closed room. At WhoDat, you are simply insane if you blame her she was in a private office and the facilities director, which is the polite way of saying head janitor (who has access to every room generally) exploited his position.
Wow, and I was pumping JUST as I read this article. Thanks for giving me the heebie jeebies LOL.
But, so far pumping has been fantastic! I am able to take my breaks each day with no trouble. They have set me up with a room that only pumpingh mommy's have access to. There's a computer in here with speakers (my r equest to listen to music). I kind of like it beacuse it forces me to take a break that I woudlnt' normally givbe myself. In fact, I am going to be super sad when I am not pumping anymore, becuase i won't have that break!!!!!!!
I work at a financial newsletter firm :).