Changes to normal daily operations in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic have forced many parents and children to make adjustments as remote learning and working has become more common than ever.
Thousands of parents across the U.S. are now expected to complete work duties as usual while simultaneously helping their children learn from home.
Marcella Mares is one of the people who has had to make changes to her daily routine, juggling motherhood and an academic load at the same time.
The California woman, pursuing a degree in criminology, enrolled in online courses at Fresno City College.
In a Sept. 23 email from one of her professors, Mares and her classmates were told about a new rule that would require students to turn on their cameras and microphones during online classes. The instructor of the statistics course told students the new rule was in response to low attendance in the class, The Fresno Bee reported.
Mares, mother to a 10-month-old girl, replied to the instructor and told him that she would follow the rule but would plan to turn her camera off during the moments she needs to breastfeed her daughter. She told him she hoped her grade wouldn’t suffer.
In response, the professor told Mares breastfeeding should not interfere with instructional time.
“I am glad to hear that you can have your camera and microphone on, but please do not breastfeed your daughter during class time because it is not what you should be doing,” the instructor wrote in an email. “Just do that after class.”
Mares was upset. She became even more frustrated when the professor announced to the class that someone had sent him a “weird” email asking to do “inappropriate” things during class time. He told students they should “get creative” to find ways to care for their children while focusing on lessons.
“It was really unprofessional of him to say my email out loud and call it weird and inappropriate to feed my baby,” Mares told The Bee.
“I was upset about it,” she told CNN. “I didn’t like the feeling of him telling me what I can and can’t do with my baby, especially in my own home because school is online right now,” adding, “He publicly outed me in front of the class.”
Mares said other people in the class were also surprised by the professors comments.
“I don’t think that he realized what he was doing at the time,” she said. “But I do believe that other students did get offended because somebody also said, ‘What are we supposed to do with our babies when they’re crying, and what if our children need to come in?’”
Mares reported sexual discrimination to school officials. Days later she received an email apology from the instructor.
“I am sorry for the inconvenience in regard to your intention of breastfeeding your baby. From now on, you have the right to breastfeed your baby at any given time during class, which includes doing group worksheet, listening to the lecture, and taking the quiz or exam,” he wrote. “You may turn off your camera at any given time as needed.”
In response to the situation, Fresno City College Public Information Officer Kathy Bonilla said, “The instructor was not aware of the law pertaining to breastfeeding and now understands that his directive was not correct.”
“California law requires that schools accommodate students for conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth including lactation,” Bonilla said. “The accommodation includes providing the time away from class to breastfeed without academic penalty.”
Read more at The Fresno Bee and CNN.
