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Federal Judge: N.H. DHHS Breastfeeding Policy "Stingy," But Legal

A federal judge has ruled against a former state employee who claimed she was fired from the Department of Health and Human Services for trying to breast-feed her child during the workday.

The Concord Monitor reports a judge ruled last month that Katherine Frederick was provided breaks and a private place to express milk, as required by law. The judge called the Department's policy "stingy," but noted it didn't violate any laws by refusing to let her breastfeed either in the lactation room or a short distance away.

Frederick said her son would not drink from a bottle for months after his birth. She refused to return to work when her maternity leave ended in 2012 and was summoned to a disciplinary hearing. She was fired a month later.

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